Even the Devil Was Once an Angel
by Child at Heart Forever
Summary: If there was one thing Natsu Dragneel could have done differently...well, he couldn't pick just ONE thing. The fact of the matter was, too many things were wrong, and nothing turned out the way it was supposed to...and they were only going to get even worse. [Manga Spoilers] Semi-AU for Angst Week.
1. Perfect Disaster Ever After

**Yo! This story contains Manga Spoilers up to (halfway into) Chapter 428 and a few from beyond!**

**Anyway, I went all out and used the angst week prompts as an excuse to write an AU where the events of Chapter 428 didn't turn out exactly the way they were supposed to, leading to the worst ****case scenario for Fairy Tail (doesn't get much angstier than that!) Thus, things like Gray's situation and E.N.D. are going to be a little different...**

**(Rated T for implied violence, slight language, heavy themes, and DEATH- but not yet. I don't plan on going to any utter extremes, but a later rating bump is possible.)  
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Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

_~Bonus Prompt 1: Perfect Disaster/Ever After~_  
.:The Festering Nightmare:.

He never thought it would be this bittersweet.

Despite the relatively upbeat feel of the celebration that was currently taking place around him, Natsu Dragneel felt hollow inside; hollow with an emptiness that was proving to be impossible to fill the more he actually tried. One would think he of all people would be able to stuff such solemn feelings away for even a little while. _Especially_ when Fairy Tail was having a shindig._ Especially_ when the celebration was for the much relieving defeat of Acnologia- the party being thrown by what few members of Fairy Tail Natsu and Lucy had managed to scrounge from the corners of Fiore.

It had been during that valiant quest to rebuild Fairy Tail -one that had taken weeks upon weeks and was still sort of going- that the one-armed dragon king decided to rear its ugly mug in search of a rematch against its fairy adversaries. It looked just as insatiable as it did the day it sunk them and Tenrou over eight years ago, and as ornery as it did when it faced off against and voraciously slaughtered Igneel. Of course, Natsu made damn sure there was nothing left of that wretched abomination, and thanks to his yearlong training expedition, he was finally able to live up to his Dragon Slayer name, and hopefully making his father proud in whatever dragon heaven he happened to be in.

Of course, he hadn't taken down the demonic beast alone, as much as he would have loved to soak up all the credit. Gajeel muscled in on the action, stepping away from his councilman duties under the claim that "Acnologia was a convict that needed a death sentence". Sting and Rogue had come running as soon as they'd heard, and Natsu had found Laxus again not too long before the attack. And the only reason Cobra had been around was because Erza had teamed up with Jellal's group over the past year…

Needless to say, it was the dragon attack during the Grand Magic Games all over again…but they prevailed completely this time and made sure there wasn't a single trace of the monstrosity left over. They had removed a huge threat from the world, so of course this required a party! They all had lived up to the name of the magic they practiced, and most importantly, Natsu had been able to avenge his father, _and yes_, it did feel pretty damn good.

He just wished_ all_ of Fairy Tail could have seen it, or at least partook in the festivities.

Sure, he and Lucy managed to gather nearly all of the Tenrou Group plus a few extras, but that was it. Bisca, Alzack, and Asuka had gone to Bisca's homeland, Wakaba and his family were living a simple domestic life, while Romeo and Macao were off traveling in the next kingdom over. Even Cana was hard to find, given that she'd crossed paths with Gildarts somewhere along the way and decided to stick with him…and after the tiresome battle against Acnologia, no one in the current group was in any condition to go the distance to collect them all. Natsu was severely disappointed, but there wasn't really much he could do about it but accept it.

Many various others –Max, Laki, Warren, and Nab amongst them- had completely started new lives, and simply wished not to return to rebuild Fairy Tail. Oh, Natsu had tried dragging them along regardless, but Lucy had talked him down from his actions, reminding him that they had no right to force anyone to do anything they didn't want to. Natsu _eventually_ gave them all his blessing, but it still hurt just the same. The worst of all had to be when Laxus revealed that Makarov had kicked the bucket along the way, and that was what crushed any little sliver of hope Natsu had of returning Fairy Tail to its former glory. It had been hard news to swallow for everyone, but all they could do was hopefully pick up the pieces of the shattered guild and help to see it live on.

Not at the party -but at least was back in Fairy Tail- was Wendy, the only Dragon Slayer to not participate in the fierce battle against Acnologia, but that was because she was still busy tending to the worsening Juvia…

Juvia, whose condition was deteriorating and the only one with the cure was…_unavailable,_ at best_._

Natsu swallowed hard, because thinking about Juvia made him think about _Gray…_and that was something he didn't _want_ to think about. They had yet to spread the news to her about his and Gray's fateful encounter –one interrupted by Gajeel and the Magic Council that allowed Gray to make a run for it- but what Natsu had managed to get out of their confrontation was that the Gray they once knew was _probably_ never coming back. And Natsu really didn't want to be the one to break it to Juvia…but she deserved to know, next time he saw her.

As much as he wanted to keep his promises to Juvia and Lucy, Natsu couldn't waste all his time being focused on Gray. There had been other members he needed to bring home, and while the handful he gathered was nothing more than "just the start"…he knew deep in his fiery gut that was more than likely as far as he was going to get. And it really, really sucked.

He tried taking his mind off his heavy thoughts by observing his old guild mates and allies actually enjoying the party at the bottom of the little hill he was brooding on, but he couldn't seem to get into the mood himself. Erza and Jellal had loosened up a bit and were sharing a dance, along with Elfman and Evergreen, while Bickslow provided the music. Mirajane and Lisanna were passing out all sorts of refreshments, which Jet, Droy, and Happy were enjoying heartily. Lily had even tricked Gajeel into a dance with Levy- with some help from Freed, who had placed a relatively harmless enchantment on Gajeel. Sting and Rogue couldn't stay long as they had to return to their own guild, while Meredy and the Oracion Seis just hung off to the sides and tried not to make any scenes.

Things were almost normal, as it was just as boisterous as any other Fairy Tail-thrown bash. But it just didn't sit right with Natsu- he missed Macao's bad jokes, Cana's drinking competitions, Asuka happily running around, the all-out fights, and Makarov himself…sure, it might have been a Fairy Tail party, but it wasn't a complete one.

And once again, he reminded himself that they would probably never get one again.

"What's wrong, Natsu?"

Natsu's eyes lazily rolled up to meet Lucy's approach, latching her arm behind her back as she gave him an inquisitive pout. He'd tried to alleviate her concern with his usual room-brightening grin, but at this point it wasn't going to be enough to fool her. She was physically fine, but she looked so emotionally worn and tired, and yet kept a melancholy smile on her face.

…hmm, somewhat like how _he _felt.

"It's not like you to be off by yourself like this- I figured you would have at least gotten your fair share of Mira's snacks by now."

There was a melodic chuckle to her tone as she sat herself down next to him and hugged her knees to her chest. Her hair fell freely over her shoulders as she turned to face him, but he couldn't look her in the eye. He was too busy envying the casualness in her tone, like everything was_ fine_ at the moment.

"I guess I'm just not in a party mood." Natsu merely shrugged as the admittedly forced smile started to slide off his face.

"Aw, come on!" Lucy insisted, leaning playfully into his shoulder. "You took down_ Acnologia_! A named feared by many and seldom ever spoken…! You have to at least feel a little proud, right?"

"I'm…just…I have a lot on my mind, that's all," Natsu mumbled. "It happens."

The way she scrutinized him made his skin crawl for some reason, but he didn't complain as her soft voice returned to fill the building silence.

"…you wanna talk about it? I mean, you're always comforting me when I'm feeling bad…the least I can do is try to return the favor."

He knew she expected a quick and witty response from him, but frankly he didn't have one ready, nor the energy to whip anything up. Sensing his hesitation, Lucy delicately put her hand over his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. That subtle touch of comfort was welcome, but it didn't make him feel better, and his lack of response made Lucy grimace.

"Hey, did I…did_ I_ do something-?"

"No! No," Natsu responded hastily, shaking his head and digging his fingers into the ground beside him. "No… it's just that, nothing happened the way it was supposed to. Some of our friends have long since moved on or are dead, I don't know where we'll go from here, we don't even have a guild hall anymore-!"

He gestured at the makeshift campsite they had built, along with the raging fire placed right at the center. It was cozy enough, but it wasn't the imposing yet homey building that sat at the edge of Magnolia, making sure to remind anyone who passed by just _who_ the number one guild in Fiore was.

"…and we may have defeated Acnologia, but Zeref's still out there, Gray's still…_you know_, and Juvia's bound to die from heartbreak at this rate…"

Natsu really didn't want to go on listing how bad everything was, not to mention everything bad that had already happened. It was a miracle in and of itself that anyone had the strength to forge on, but it was where some of them found that strength that deeply disturbed him…

"That's so unlike you, Natsu. Where's that positive spirit?" Lucy asked, her smile the only bright thing besides the fire raging below them. "We're going to get Fairy Tail back together, even if it's not quite the same! We're going to snap Gray out of his funk and get him to come home! We're going…to make everything right again…"

She quivered as she hit her last sentence, realizing that Natsu failed to share her enthusiasm. His eyes were weary, his body was raggedly slouched, and whether or not it was all left over from the preceding hard-fought battle he waged was up for debate.

Oh, how he wanted to cheer up and agree with Lucy's words on the spot, trade a reassuring high five with her and laugh about all the great things to come to be. The future should have been bright for all of them, and Natsu hadn't lost hope that things would be okay again, but he couldn't act ignorant forever either. Reality was a cruel thing, and it was becoming painfully obvious that Natsu's ideal vision of the future was progressively slipping out of his fingers all the time.

"What's wrong with me, Lucy? Why's everything suddenly so hard?" There was genuine melancholy in his voice, and it broke Lucy's heart just to hear it. "What did any of us ever do to deserve to go through such a hell? You, me, Gray-"

_Gray._

Seriously, nothing stung worse than such blatant betrayal. He might as well have taken an icicle and stabbed everyone right in the back! Natsu's whole body tensed just at saying that deceitful name alone, and thinking back to that day left a horrible taste in his mouth. Even if they'd both been holding back during their brief fight, it was the emotional hostility that wrecked him from the inside out.

Cut the buddy-buddy crap? Quit the BFF routine? Fairy Tail no longer exists?! _Bullshit!_

That arrogant snowman assumed that merely removing his emblem was going to nullify everything they'd gone through together? That the experiences they shared, the times they spent together, the battles they waged through, and everything else was just supposed to evaporate like it hadn't mattered?! Not just Juvia was waiting for that bastard; Lucy had been worried to tears about him, and Natsu himself…he couldn't lie and say he didn't care.

After all, that brainless popsicle with the IQ of an ice cube was someone he subconsciously called his best friend.

"…he deserved that slap you gave him," Natsu grunted through strained teeth, driving his fingers angrily into his folded arms. "Whether he's possessed or his magic's messing with him or it's of his own accord…everything he's doing is not okay."

"Ever since Avatar was captured and Gray escaped, it's been even more impossible to keep tabs on him," Lucy added, shaking next to Natsu. "I just can't believe…Gray…would say things like that…"

Her eyes were locked onto him, and it made his heart skip a beat when her look met his. He could see all over her face that she was doing her best to keep it together just like he was- they'd both gone through one hell of a time those last couple of weeks, and honestly? Lucy probably had it harder.

"B-but…" Lucy trembled, latching her arm around his bandaged one. He bristled at the close contact, but made no effort to move. "…comrades 'til the end, right?"

"Of course."

There wasn't the slightest bit of hesitation in his reply; the statement was dull, just like he felt, but it wasn't a lie either. Gray could be the manifestation of all evil itself –if Zeref didn't already own that title- and Natsu would still proudly call him nakama. To Natsu, simply changing sides or abandoning Fairy Tail could never change the bond they forged. Strain it? Perhaps, and Natsu certainly wasn't going to hug anything out the next time he crossed paths with the loser…but he'd be willing to make amends eventually.

"It just…blows my mind…" Natsu knew he needed to quit talking about this, especially when this was supposed to be a happy time, but with Lucy lending him an ear he found that he couldn't stop himself. "He always seemed so strong-willed before…how could just up and ditch Juvia, throw all of us away, and let himself get swallowed up by darkness like that? But all that does is make me think…Fairy Tail doesn't need Gray…"

He fisted his hand and thudded it against his chest, right over his heart as he squeezed his eyes tight.

"…Gray needs Fairy Tail."

There was a pregnant silence between the duo while the far more exuberant group before them released joyous laughs into the night air as everyone spun about the fire. Natsu almost envied them for their ability to shed their problems and embrace the days one at a time. He'd been like that once –heck, he still found time to dance in the rain, but…

He clutched at his bandaged arm with the opposite hand, making Lucy twitch against him. Natsu took another look at her as she gazed at the party below, and simply exhaled deeply.

…ya know, some things changed when you least expected them to, and when you _really_ didn't want them to.

"…_I_ needed it too."

Lucy's voice cut through his thoughts again, and Natsu found she was no longer looking at anything in particular, her softened eyes instead taking interest in an insignificant blade of grass.

"They're my family…a family I got to have because of_ you_," she whispered quietly. "I've already lost all of my biological family, so they were all I had…yet everyone just split, and no one…no one batted an eye over me."

Natsu could feel every tremble that wracked through her body at this point, and she was like a blonde volcano trying its best not to erupt. But the emotions were bubbling to the surface, and all Natsu could do at this point was just let her get it all out at her own pace.

"I can't resent anyone for it, and I understand that they had their minds on other people. I mean, Gajeel and Levy joined the council together, Gray willingly moved in with Juvia for six whole months, and even Erza found her way back to Jellal again…and just about everyone had someone to stick with after the breakup…" Natsu winced at her implications as her hands fisted in her lap. "…but I was alone. Do you know what being abandoned by your family is like...?"

"…yeah…"

The word was dry and unexpectedly bitter, and it made his face sour after it escaped his lips. It pained him to even think about it, let alone openly explain to Lucy just _how_ abandoned he felt when Igneel vanished on that fateful day, left alone in the world by the only one he could call family at the time without a single goodbye…

But that had been for Natsu's sake.

"…yeah, but when I was left behind, it was because someone had cared about my safety above all else," Natsu continue thickly, his muscles tensing. "And I had left because I needed to get stronger; I cared about _your_ safety, and I needed to protect you and all of Fairy Tail better…and if I hadn't, Acnologia would have probably killed us all this time."

"But you have to know how much _pain _that left me in!" Lucy suddenly howled, jumping to her feet and standing imposingly over him with quivering eyes- a look of anguish that didn't belong on Lucy, or anyone else for that matter. "Do you know that pain? To have the people closest to you just walk right out of your life-"

"I didn't know the guild would break up, and I was coming back…!" Natsu interrupted, eyes now burning with intensity. "No one walked out of your life, Lucy-!"

"Tell me- _do you know that pain_?!"

The only thing that kept that cry drowned out from the rest of Fairy Tail was the droning music below, but it was loud and proud to Natsu. Every inch of her was quaking with internal agony, and she'd tried her best to keep it repressed for well over a year…and Natsu had a front seat to it, with no way out of it but to confront it with the truth.

Sighing, Natsu trembled slightly, but he didn't lie. "…yes."

"So then why…when everyone else had someone to fall back on, you thought it was _fine_ to leave me with nothing but a crudely written letter to say goodbye?" Her knees started shaking like they were about to cave, and Natsu's face completely fell. "…so why did you leave me behind!?"

Silence, then-

"I'm sorry."

His heart snapped when she finally broke down, sinking down to the ground and only out of instinct did he manage to get her to land in his arms. Through her rain of tears she was speaking her heart out about how lonely she had been, and of how the one person she wanted to run to was out of arm's length, and more importantly had left her before the guild ever did. She raved miserably about how worried she was about him, and saying he was going to come back wasn't exactly a perfect guarantee …and as she quaked into his chest, her whole body turbulent with sobs, Lucy asked him why he couldn't have waited just one more day.

Just one more day, and perhaps he could have stopped Fairy Tail from disbanding.

And of course, that sentence had left Natsu with two heavy regrets on his conscience- one for leaving behind the girl who meant the world to him, even if he knew that it was for the best in the long run, and another for being hasty in his departure, as not a day went by since reuniting with Lucy did he not think about what could have happened if he delayed his quest but a day. Had he done so, maybe they wouldn't be in the state of utter disarray they were right now.

"I don't hate you, and I won't hold a grudge against anyone…I know you all did what you did because you thought it was for the best," she sobbed into his chest, burying her face deeper into the nook of his shoulder. "…but it still hurts, Natsu. And I don't want to hurt anymore."

He couldn't hear her words for the raw emotion fueling them was far louder. And frankly, that was all he needed to hear. This girl's heart was broken, only hanging together by the faintest of strings, and the symphony of anger, sadness, loneliness, and depression in her tone was a melody of true suffering if Natsu had ever heard one. He held her closer to his body, as if that would squeeze out the last of her tears, because he couldn't stand to see her like this any longer.

"…please, Luce, don't cry anymore," he begged into her ear, his own eyes sagging sadly when she wailed even harder. His hand found its way to her back and patted it soothingly, not really sure what else to do. "…everything may not be perfect, but I refuse to let anything get any worse. And I will do what I can, no matter how long it takes, to make this right again."

He felt a subtle nod somewhere amidst the trembling and bawling, so at least he knew Lucy had heard and acknowledged him. Her once pent-up sobs were a thick contrast to the good mood of the party right in front of them; everyone below basking in happiness while the two of them were weighed down by the heavy atmosphere above. Lucy was falling apart right before Natsu- the only thing keeping her together was the warm embrace of his arms.

Natsu meant every word he said to her, but one thing he learned over the course of those past few weeks was that words could be empty and talk was cheap; actions determined everything. Actions were what could uproot everything you knew in an instant…like walking away from a lifetime in a guild. Like writing a letter before leaving on a whim. Like stripping yourself of your family bonds and showing no remorse about it.

…If there was one thing Natsu Dragneel could have done differently...well, he couldn't pick just ONE thing. The fact of the matter was, too many things were wrong, and nothing turned out the way it was supposed to...and they _were_ only going to get even worse.

Yep, it was a perfect disaster ever after from here on out.


	2. Scars and Bruises

**Gray's chapters/prompts are a little shorter than Natsu's...but no less angsty, mwa ha ha.**

**Remember: written angst is nothing more than depressing poetry. x3**

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Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

_~Prompt 1: Scars/Bruises~_  
.:The New Face of Apathy:.

The sting of her slap was still fresh against his cheek, even with the weeks that had marched on and distanced him from the critical day.

The night had taken on a chilly breeze, making that renewed wave of pain tingle all the more on his skin. Needless to say that he couldn't feel the cold himself; said wind whistled through his slicked-back hair and made his open jacket dance about in its wake, but even against his readily exposed torso, the air's frigid temperature couldn't even touch him. While he was a rather cold and now frankly despicable person, the warm grip of apathy remained ever so sweet.

But pain? Yes, he could feel that, and it made his heart clench, thinking about everyone who he had so easily discarded from his life.

Grimacing as he walked down the less-traveled path through a heavily wooded area, Gray appeared to be mentally battling with himself, but at some point something in him caved as his blackened hand slipped into his pocket, taking hold of a small box located within.

"Haven't needed one of these for a long time…" he murmured, now balancing a cigarette in one hand as he twirled a lighter in the other. The small flame suparked to life against the weather's insistence, but as soon as the cigarette had its spark, Gray snuffed out that little fire and dropped the lighter back into his pocket. Perched between two fingers, the cigarette breached Gray's lips, and after a satisfying inhale, he released a puff of smoke into the night air, and a bit of his stress along with it.

His eyes still narrowed when his mind rewound to the day that Natsu and Lucy had burst into Avatar's hideout- of course Natsu had caused one hell of a scene, spouting his usual spiels on nakama and whatnot and using that to try and drag Gray back with him, but that just wasn't going to happen. Gray tried to make that clear as calmly as possible, but Natsu was always itching for a fight. The two had been evenly matched…and while Gray had indeed been holding back, he could just _feel_ that Natsu was hardly using any effort at all, slicing through the air with devastating kicks and punches that were physical manifestations for how he felt.

"_Juvia's waiting, you bastard!_ I'm _waiting for you…!"_

Natsu definitely knew what to say to get under his skin, that was for sure, but Gray had remained stoic and steadfast, announcing how he shed his bonds of family…strictly for his own purpose, and well under his own free will. What was that nonsense about him being possessed by demons? No, _no_\- joining Avatar had been a purely willful choice, and one that had nudged him closer to E.N.D. than ever before. Being that close to his destination may have consumed Gray a little, hence why he eventually just decided to stay at the headquarters instead of constantly going back to Juvia.

But how could he possibly be evil when he was giving up everything he had to save everyone?

Only _he_ had the power to defeat E.N.D.- the demon was Zeref's strongest, and as easily evidenced in the fight with Mard Gear, only Gray had the best chance to single-handedly go toe to toe with the vile creatures that resided in Zeref's books…but he didn't even need to destroy the demon itself. Just the book.

The book that _Natsu_ allowed him to lose.

And it was that moment that later led Gray to realize that his apparent friends were holding him back- their varied ideas and morals clashed far too much, and with a situation as serious as this, Gray didn't need to second guess himself. His newfound magic, of a strength he hadn't known before, had placed him on a road that led astray from everyone else's, and he could walk it. He _would_ walk it.

And then Lucy slapped him.

Gray physically winced as that scene happened over and over again in his mind, his teeth grinding against the cigarette as his hand traced his cheek. He remembered going somewhat crossed-eyed in that moment, and there had been a sudden light in his head, almost as if he was going back in time…and it was almost as if his past self –the simple man he used to be- was grabbing him by the shoulders and desperately telling him to snap out of it. How many times had he been told not to sacrifice himself for his friends? That his family should always be a reason to live?

But…he had done this _for_ them, even if it meant he couldn't be among them anymore. …it was a dark and frankly ugly road, but the less people that went down it, the better.

And yet, seeing the tears bubble at Lucy's eyes really did make him question himself. That sight of her and that pain so blatantly boiling on her expression was going to scar him forever, because he had been standing right there, fully able to stop her tears, and he couldn't bring himself to do it. Having emotions was in no way, shape, or form weak, but to cave in and reforge his bond with the girl who he treated as a close friend if not a sister would render everything he did up to that point useless. A colossal waste of his time…

It still turned out to be a waste, when the Magic Council featuring Gajeel -of all people- along with Levy chose that spectacular moment to make their entrance and screw up everything.

They flooded the building like they owned the place, amassing like an infestation of insects and filling every corner of the room. They had spread themselves thin, however, and Gray was able to use that to his advantage, making his daring escape. He'd heard Lucy beckon to him over the roar of chaos, and he'd made the mistake of looking back once, catching the glimpse of heartbreak that was obvious in her eyes.

He only hoped she'd seen the apology in his.

One by one, the Council –and of course Natsu- had restrained the resisting forces of Avatar, and Levy had found herself at Lucy's side, comforting the blonde where she now knelt on ground feeling sick to her stomach. Gajeel, meanwhile, had taken it upon himself to sniff out Gray's icy trail, grunting, snarling, and shoving whoever got in his way to get his thick hands on the fleeting Gray. But Gray hadn't been with Avatar to support their crazy purification idea –he planned to throw a wrench in that as soon as he had a chance, actually- and he wasn't about to be guilty by association. Not when he had a job to do, and a mission to fulfill.

By some miracle of fate, Gray managed to weave through the secret passages of the Avatar guild hall, using his control over the marks on his body to disguise his scent, as Gajeel hadn't been accustomed to the demon musk that came with strengthening his slaying abilities with Juvia. This time, when he broke away from everyone, he didn't look back, although he wondered how far he'd have to run until he could stop…and that answer was probably never.

Somewhat disgusted with himself, Gray plucked the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it to the ground, promptly crushing it with the heel of his boot before carrying on. He shouldn't care what anyone else thought of him at this point, and he didn't need to either, now that he was roaming across Fiore all on his own. Any more leads he could have gathered with that sickening Avatar guild were squashed when the Magic Council showed up out of nowhere, overpowered and outnumbered everyone, and took them all away…all except Gray, and now he felt farther from that goal than ever before.

But he wouldn't give up. Too many times had Gray been brought down by various foes in the past, battered, mocked, and chided for not being as strong as the other members of Fairy Tail. He was degraded for not having the resolute will of Erza, the raw power of the Dragon Slayers, the indomitable spirit of Lucy…but the tables were turned now; now, only _he_ had the strength to save the day this time.

Something deep inside of him twisted at that stray thought, but he brushed it off like everything else, slipped his hands into his pockets, and carried on the down the dirt road, hoping that his next destination would yield some better luck for him…a road that took him farther and farther from everything he once knew.

Well, if their paths were different -and even if his path was wrong- it was his own choices that lead him to this, and he was willing to live with the resulting scars and bruises as a consequence. After all, he didn't mind having a few scars as long as he could see them…it was the ones he couldn't see that would always sting, and those ones would always hurt the most.

But as long as E.N.D. still posed a threat, he just couldn't bring himself to return home.


	3. Monsters

**I adore this prompt because it gives me a chance to explore a concept that I've been dying to do...!**

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Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

_~Prompt 2, Part 1: Monsters~_  
.:The Things That Come Out in the Dark:.

"Lucy, do you think I'm a monster?"

There wasn't a response, not that Natsu really wanted one to such a deep question. And yet, he couldn't help but kneel expectantly next to where Lucy had been peacefully slumbering on her bed roll, her pillowy lips gently pulled into a calm smile. Clearly she was having an easier night than he was…

Frowning, Natsu snapped his head over his shoulder to observe where Happy and Erza were sleeping as well, hoping he hadn't stirred them with his own restlessness. Erza was lying flat on her back with a serious expression while Happy had sprawled himself all over Natsu's pillow, but Natsu didn't mind- he doubted he'd be getting any more smooth sleep at this point. Frustrated, he blew his bangs out of his face, then continued to sadly rest his gaze on Lucy, getting a little comfort out of basking in her peace of mind when he didn't have any.

The four of them had teamed up and split temporarily from the others in order to go check on Wendy and especially Juvia…and fill them in on Gray. Again, Natsu wasn't really looking forward to that, and he was still feeling bitter when it came to Gray, but what currently plagued his mind wasn't much more pleasant. It had only started bothering him recently, but now it was disturbing him to his very core, creeping in from the darkest recesses of his mind and nagging him in his dreams.

"I had a nightmare…that I was scaring people," Natsu whispered to Lucy, a sardonic smile etching on his face. "I know, how lame is that? But it still bothers me…I mean, I'm only human, right?"

Of course he was. And besides, his dream had only shown him while he was in a fight- when he was at his most riled up and feral, running on natural instincts and going nearly animalistic on his foes. He was nothing more than a snarling ball of rage that would incite fear into all who opposed him with his fighting spirit alone, and had anyone within reach bawling for mercy- but that was just the dream. He wasn't like that in real life- normally in battles he'd be beaten into bandages, even if he did emerge victorious, and there was nothing threatening about that at all. Like any other normal person, Natsu was perfectly capable of getting hurt.

But…in reality, there _were_ times when he would just get really intense; they were when the tides of battles weren't in his favor and he'd be clamoring for anything and everything to get the upper-hand again. They were times when no matter how hard he was pushing into the ground, he always found a way to stand back up again and somehow outdo his adversaries, against every odd. They were times when anger and rage would course through his body as naturally as his very own blood, and in those moments, whether in the faces of innocent bystanders or his worst enemies, there was nothing but unfiltered revulsion. And usually followed by the declaration that he somehow just wasn't human.

And then, that he was a monster.

Normally being called such a weightless name wouldn't have bothered him at all…but after hearing it on more than one occasion, and after gaining a sort of introspective side to himself after his year long journey, Natsu couldn't help but wonder if those claims had some merit after all.

His mind flashed back to the times when he had simply just lost control of himself…when he got swept up in the intoxicating flow of his own power…

He couldn't help it. Self-control had never been his strong point.

_Natsu let out a loud roar into the night of Hargeon's port, building up a blistering attack that would be sure to take out Bora and his horde of lackeys in a single shot…along with a good chunk of the town…  
__Bora just stared wide eyed at the incomparable magic displayed before him, unable to move under its imposing aura.  
__"What is he-?!"_

_"So much power..." gasped Kageyama, finding his back against the wall and sweating profusely under the intense heat of Natsu's flames. "I didn't think wizards like this really existed!"  
"You ready to talk?" Natsu growled raspingly, marching closer with fire dancing at his fingertips. "If not, I've got a fireball with your name on it!"  
"No..." the man cowered, the whole room enveloping in flames and destroying everything in their wake. "…you're a monster!"  
Natsu appeared completely indifferent to the destruction, like it hadn't even been his fault. "Aw man, look what you made me do…!"_

_"You're not human..." rumbled the demon known as Lullaby, as Natsu swept about the forest with flames billowing out his arms. "You're a monster!"  
"Oh, like you can talk!"_

_His voice had been nothing short of primal as Cobra kept him locked in his poisonous clutches, leaving Natsu with no other option than to throw his head back and release that ear-splitting howl. It was a deafening sound that not only tore at the ear drums of his fellow dragon slayer, but the sound had reached his friends as well.  
"What is that sound..?!" Gray had bellowed, while Lucy had stood with her eyes quivering fretfully.  
"A monster?!"_

"_I wonder which one of us will make it out of here alive…" Natsu droned caustically, hobbling into the area where Zero was waiting. "…_Me_? Or You?"_

_"You say you wanna see a dragon, huh?" Natsu roared, expelling uncontrollable flames from his whole body without the slightest sign of relent as he was trapped in Daphne's fake dragon. "I'll show you what an _angry_ one looks like!"_

_"He's the real frickin monster here!" shouted Toby to Yuka, as Natsu tore through a horde of creatures in a furious rampage._

"_Why...is a mere human making me tremble this...no...is he _really _human?" stammered Jackal, his eyes darting about fearfully as he desperately wanted to find the answer to his question, the glare of Natsu's fire reflecting in his pupils. "He has to...Impossible! It's impossible! What_ is_ this guy...?_

They'd flash in his mind far too often; all those times when he would go all out and be boundless with his power, and it felt_ good_ to lash out with such a strength. He couldn't deny that pounding exhilaration whenever he got himself into a particularly good fight, and it was part of why he craved it often. He wasn't just some thrill-seeker; he wanted that tasteful rush that made him feel the blood pumping through his veins! He wanted an all encompassing vigor that made him push himself to his very limits and holding back for nothing…! A feeling that made it seem like he was on top of the world, consumed in the euphoria of battle…!

"_So, you think I'm a monster, huh?! Well you ain't seen _nothing_ yet, pal!"_

Yet what was troubling him were the times when he'd fully embraced the boisterous claims.

Long gone were times where he denied the accusations, and far beyond the transition to just ignoring it…no, he'd reached a point where if the fingers were going to be pointed and he was going to get saddled with the label of 'monster', he'd make them feel hell and know just _what_ a monster was truly capable of…!

"But I…I don't want to feel like that…" Natsu murmured under his breath, digging his nails into his palm with how tightly he was clenching his fist. "I dunno why I'm always thinking like that…but it's no good…"

He was too deep into it now, that was what. And he knew Lucy had noticed as well…

There used to be a certain charm of wonder in Lucy's eyes whenever she witnessed him fight; a look of admiration as he stood indomitable against his foes. There was some concern laced in there as well, considering Natsu wasn't invincible, but she always believed in him no matter what…

"So what changed…?" Natsu asked, leering absentmindedly at his bandage. "Why did you look at me with such…such…?"

_Horror._

He knew he was madly strong beyond compare, trained to the point of not even needing to call out spells to summon powerful magic. Admittedly, it felt a little different from his Dragon Slayer techniques, but he felt so dominant and _so good_, and he wanted to show off that strength to as many people as he possibly could! Hell, he'd stomped straight into the latest Grand Magic Games and wiped out the guild who had earned the number one title _by himself_. Only he could pull off such an incredulous feat, and being alone with such an exploit under his belt, how could he not stand in the middle of the capital's stadium and grin like an absolute fool?

How could he not stand in the middle of the capital's stadium and grin like an absolute fool…while the crowd that filled it was running for their lives, desperately trying to get away from the monster below.

He'd been having fun during that unexpected arrival of his, even if his opponents were chumps in comparison. And yeah, as usual he'd gotten carried away and completely melted the stadium with his presence alone…but had he really been _that_ frightening?

"Yeah…I guess that's when it hit me, Luce," Natsu smiled weakly. "I'm really not normal…and I really never have been…"

She remained gracefully still and unaware.

"Just try to imagine…that one moment, you're standing in the middle of a raving crowd, giving it everything you've got, smiling and enjoying yourself like you never have before...and you're blind to the distress that you've just caused. There's thousands upon thousands of faces looking down on you with _pure terror_, fleeing away just at the_ sight_ of you..."

His eyes softened as they narrowed in on her sleeping expression, knowing she'd never hear any of this but it was worth it to get it off his chest.

"And you can hear them screaming; you can hear the shouts of unison to kill the _monster,_ as the whole stadium melts away...and you can hear one angelic yet troubled voice in the midst of the many, telling everyone to run and calling for help to attempt to subdue the rampaging beast…and you hear her, and you look up in the crowd to find her…and she's leering down at you like you're the scariest thing she's ever seen in her life…"

He swallowed, only now realizing he was shaking slightly. She hadn't even recognized him right away…

"So yeah, if everyone sees me as a destructive beast when I see it as nothing than me merely having fun...then maybe I am a monster...especially when I know you were thinking the same thing."

He'd never forget that edge to her eyes- gone was the awe-filled stupor, replaced by cold fear at the sight of the strength he displayed. He saw it not once, not twice, but three times now, and Natsu was really starting to wonder if there was something truly wrong, because it wasn't like Lucy was the only one gaping at his might, although only her opinion mattered to him.

He tried to picture what people saw when he was at his most frenzied; he depicted a snarling beast superimposing billowing flames in his mind; a grotesque form ominously silhouetted by fire. He was a force that couldn't be reckoned with; a creature that clawed out from the darkest corners of the world and instilled fear in the hearts of many with nothing more than a deadly look and a ferocious roar bellowing in their ears…

Well, that was mostly the nightmares talking now, but what had undeniably been real was the fright he unintentionally caused people…and Lucy.

The night seemed to creep on slowly as Natsu laid down next to Lucy, lying his bandaged arm across his chest before flopping his head over to keep looking at her. She hadn't moved at all during his venting, and Natsu wasn't sure whether that was for the best, or if some part of him deep down really did want her to hear, and to assure him that he wasn't becoming the very thing he would have wanted to destroy.

"I've seen you when you're absolutely terrified…and I should never be the cause of that look in your eyes…" he said hushedly, moving that bandaged arm over to brush a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear, as it was the only obstruction to an otherwise placid appearance. "Luce, I don't want you to think of me as a monster…"

Hesitating, and suddenly feeling a little vulnerable, he rolled over on his side in order to comfortably tug Lucy closer to his torso, taking great care to not disturb her…but he wanted her close. Even if just for silent comfort.

"But if I have to be the monster to protect those I care about…then so be it."

Signing heavily, he eventually decided he'd better get some sort of rest, but with Happy domineering his pillow, Natsu decided just to buck up and enjoy the rock hard ground. He would have much preferred Lucy's bed back at her apartment or even her lumpy pink couch, but it was fine; he didn't really like going back to tossing and turning on his own bed roll anyway. Lucy next to him would keep him steady. Even if he didn't fall asleep, at least he could keep her extra warm.

And again, with his forehead lightly pressed to hers, he whispered, "Lucy…do you think I'm a monster?"

Once more he was met with silence, and after releasing an uncharacteristic whimper, he pulled his head away and laid it firmly on the ground, hoping her soothing scent would be enough to lull him to sleep.

"…no…"

He cracked an eye open and directed it at Lucy's lips, where the tired words he wanted to hear so badly had emerged from.

"…and I never will…"

That small relief alone finally allowed Natsu to fall asleep…even if the nightmares didn't completely go away.


	4. Demons

**Surprise! There was actually two prompts today! I just couldn't get them both out earlier. And this is the second time already I've been prompted by "Demons" -and again Gray's the focus no less- so I got a little more creative! **

**(And holy cow I'm not ready for tomorrow's prompts...! *sobs*) **

* * *

Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

_~Prompt 2, Part 2: Demons~_  
.:The Things Chosen to Keep Inside:.

"Asking around here about demons be a dangerous thing, boy…" said the old man at the local bar of a far off –and quite deserted- town, eyeing Gray contemptuously as he shined a shot glass. "While it be true that this town has its fair share of demon lore…it'd be best to keep yer mind clear of such evil."

Gray just sat there, staring into the mug of beer that had been generously slung down the counter and into his possession. Unfortunately he didn't plan on drinking.

"I need you to tell me what you know about E.N.D. I've heard that tales of its first appearance have been kept in your family for centuries. Even if it's nothing more than mere speculation, I'll take anything I can get my hands on," Gray returned cautiously and getting straight to the point, but that only made the old man throw him an even deeper scowl. "_Please._ It's imperative that I get this information."

The glass slammed to the counter along with the bartender's fist, the sordid old man scrutinizing him like Gray was some detestable vermin that had dared to waltz in and take a seat at the counter.

"Yes, my family be the keepers of such yore…but we don't go passing it around to outsiders like yerself." There was a loud _squench _as the man returned to polishing the glass, making sure every inch of it was squeaky clean. "The last thing we need are shady-types like you looking around to stir up trouble with them things…"

Gray furrowed his brow; clearly this man was going to take a bit of prying, but there was no need to be hasty. If there was anything he got out of his time in that vile Avatar guild, it was that sometimes information had to be drawn out with an…indirect approach.

"…perhaps, a story for a story, then?" Gray suggested calmly, reaching for the mug of beer and coolly frosting its rim with the tip of his finger. This only earned a curious look from the man before him, but his words were more of a statement than a question. "You imply I have no room for butting my business in with demons…but sir, demons have plagued my whole existence. I'm well aware of the danger Zeref's little monsters possess, and the threat they leave in the world as a whole…I can tell you first hand there is something bigger than all of us at play here."

The bartender relaxed the slightest bit, silently intrigued. The tiniest of smirks caused the ends of Gray's lips to curl up, but he maintained his levelheaded demeanor.

"I've lived a very, _very_ vengeful life," Gray began, his finger still tracing his mug. A wry smile twisted onto his face, accentuated by the glare in his red eye. "I hardly remember a happy time in my childhood; those memories were robbed away when Deliora decided to show up, kill my parents, and destroy the only place I'd ever known. A young boy's image of life completely shattered after having everything he once loved ripped away from him…an internal wound that's not easily healed."

The temperature seemed to drop with every frigid word that poured out of Gray's mouth, effectively freezing the bartender to the spot as he listened a little more intently than he wanted to.

"…I may have found a temporary solace within my master and her other student, but the darkness within me could only be staved off so for long." Gray held up his blacked hand and made the mark spread farther across his body, causing the bartender to stagger backwards against the wall. "It festered without me even knowing…and one day it exploded when Deliora reared its face again- surely you know that he too was a creation of Zeref…"

"Of course," murmured the bartender, and Gray nodded.

"My master gave her life to seal that demon- to prevent myself from getting killed, and to give me a reason to move on with my life; to move past the darkness that corrupted my frozen heart." His hand clenched against the mug. "But I couldn't stand losing anyone else in my life. You can only lose so much before the pain becomes unbearable, so…I sealed myself off from people as much as I could. If I ever got too attached again, I…I…"

Gray glanced away and shrugged slightly.

"…eh, I try not to think about it. But there's a little irony for ya- the most emotionally closed person is the most sensitive of all. I suppose that's just a demon living within myself…" He waved it off and dismissed it like it was nothing. "And because I had closed off my emotions to all in my guild, I was able to keep my inner darkness at bay- my master had never truly sealed it away. Her departure only aggravated it, along with the sacrifice of her own daughter…mmm, mother and daughter, giving up so much of themselves for a waste of space like me…"

It was then that Gray glanced around the tavern- aside from him, there were only a few men sprinkled about that looked like they were on really long benders right about then, and they weren't paying the least bit of attention to Gray. Pursing his lips, he slipped a cigarette into his hand, lit it up, and took a puff. The bartender was somewhat repulsed, but he didn't make a comment against it.

"…but there was one more trial of suffering I had to go through; one more ordeal I had to pass through before I could finally call myself strong…" Gray's eyes were sharp as his cigarette twitched about between his lips. "…and that was to lose my father a second time, brought back by _demons_ nonetheless, but at least that time I had a chance to say goodbye…"

"…you do have my condolences; I can't imagine goin' through what you have," murmured the bartender. "That's truly something I wouldn't wish upon anyone…"

"But it_ finally_ doesn't hurt anymore," Gray chuckled, shaking his head and shrugging aloofly. "It finally doesn't hurt…! Thanks to my father, at long last, I can fight with the best of them and be an actual force to be reckoned with! I'm not the one being doubted for my ability, I'm not the one always having to retreat, I'm not one shamefully being brought to my knees…I have the power to slay demons; I have the power to rid the world of Zeref's strongest creation…!"

There was a slight madness in Gray's tone, and even the elderly ears of the bartender could pick up on it. The look in his eyes were somewhat unhinged as well, but there was a sort of logic to his words nonetheless. A dark chuckle escaped the Devil Slayer as he leaned forward, taking the mug of beer and sliding it well out of his own reach.

"So many things in my life would be much better if it wasn't plagued by demons…I'd still have my parents, my master never would have died, I would've have had to give up everything I loved just to increase my chances for victory, and I certainly wouldn't have to be here right now, begging for such integral information from a mere _bartender_…"

"Y-you don't…I can't…I shouldn't-"

"Surely you don't want that demon being revived…I want to prevent people on a large scale from suffering the way I have…and that's precisely why I need to know everything I can." Gray rose dramatically from his chair and leered at the bartender, who was now shuddering against his will under the imposing icy aura that was radiating off of Gray. "And now that I've rid myself of everything that can hurt me, I won't let anything hold me back from completing what I alone vowed to do. I _will_ bring that vile creature to its knees before it has a chance to hurt anyone."

The bartender was paralyzed with an unseen fear; all humor from Gray was gone and only a hardened look remained.

"…so tell me _everything _you know about E.N.D."

. . .

When Gray left the little tavern in the middle of nowhere later that night, one would think nothing of the fact that he stumbled out the door like the average drunk, but it wasn't alcohol that left him in such an unstable state. The weight of the unanticipated knowledge he so desperately craved had left him unbalanced, and to stay standing was a demanding feat.

Yet what was the tale that turned the fearsome demon-hunting Devil Slayer's legs to jelly, made his stomach churn with nausea, and made him grab his head while demanding that what he'd heard had to be an utter lie…?

Four hundred years ago, on an small isle known as the Devil's Cradle, Zeref had created E.N.D. as a final measure to accomplish a suicide…but the repercussions of that action were that E.N.D. has an insatiable appetite for destruction. Everything and anything would fall under the demon's might, for there was no force in the world that could match it. Even without trying, destruction would follow the demon wherever it went, as it lacked the ability to hold back…and with strength like that, it was only a matter of time before it would wipe out quite literally everything.

A certain fire dragon knew this, and dared to challenge the beast, as he had the best chance to stand against E.N.D.'s flaming abilities. The dragon could eat anything the demon wanted to throw at him…but when it came down to it, he was unable to fully destroy E.N.D. In that fiery clash, the great dragon only managed to separate the demon from its Etherious form. The demon's true power was sealed away in its wretched book written fastidiously by Zeref's hand…

…while the body had taken centuries to show up again, and now it walks among the people…

"_Even I find it hard to believe…and I'm almost certain this last part is just an old wives' tale…but the dragon that challenged E.N.D._ found_ the body in a human form hundreds of years later…" the bartender droned, speaking in a hushed yet troubled tone. "I've heard some zany fairy tales in my lifetime, but the one that stands out the most would be…that the dragon wiped the memory of the demon…"_

"It can't be…it can't be…!"

"_...raised it from scratch as his own, and hoped to integrate it into society…"_

Gray was on the ground now, struggling to breathe and even dry heaving at one point.

"…_so yes, what I know about E.N.D…"_

"Shit…SHIT!"

"…_is that it walks amongst us, boy."_

In a blind rage, ice had flown everywhere, stabbing straight through the trunks of trees and thankfully not injuring anyone. Gray was so shaky that he could hardly even crawl along the ground…but he had to move…! But it was so crazy…!

But now it all made sense.

"There's…no one else it_ can_ be…!"

In Gray's life, there were demons everywhere; sealed in books, rampaging across the lands, hidden deep within his very own soul…

"_E.N.D. is a fire demon…"_

And even hiding in plain sight…in the form of his best friend.

* * *

**(Okay, realistically, I highly doubt that Gray's going to find out who E.N.D. is from a shady bartender, but that's not the point of the prompt here. xD) **


	5. Broken (Promises)

**It only goes downhill from here, folks. *clutches tissue box***

* * *

Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

_~Prompt 3, Part 1: Broken (Promises)~_  
.:The Facing of Reality:.

When Natsu made a promise, you knew he would die in order to see it through.

It was one of his most remarkable features, the way you could place all your trust into him and get back tenfold from it. He didn't pass out promises like they were nothing either- he gave them only when they were absolutely important and necessary, and no matter _what_ was promised, if he was serious about it, he'd see to it that it_ would_ be accomplished.

When he was younger, he would forget his promises a lot; a habit that both Gray and Erza had gotten on his case for. He didn't quite understand the sanctity that came with a promise, but as he grew older, he started to learn the importance of giving his word, especially after losing Lisanna…and especially after meeting Lucy, whose whole magic practice relied on maintaining bonds of trust. She made it look like nothing when she first contracted Plue in front of him, but her words still struck a chord that rang true within him today.

Technically, no promises had been broken yet, but the fact Natsu was returning to Juvia empty handed was not sitting well with him. He hadn't given up, and he certainly didn't intend to drop his quest for Gray at all… It had been impractical to continue vigorously looking for him when there were so many other things that needed to be done, and he had lost Gray's icy trail anyway.

But the guilt still ate away at him, knowing Juvia was waiting back at home for the one person she had started to build a new life with, whether they were romantically involved or not. She was waiting, Lucy was waiting- hell, everyone was waiting…but Natsu had yet to bring him back.

And he didn't know if he could, which was the most troubling part.

Sure, he could easily grab Gray by the scruffy collar of that dingy coat he probably pulled out of a dumpster and drag his sorry hide back to Juvia, but the way he acted, the way he thought and moved and looked and _spoke_…would Natsu really be bringing back _Gray_, or just a twisted persona that managed to house itself into the body of Gray Fullbuster? Physically he could bring him back without a problem, but mentally…that was a different story. _He_ was a different person.

And to be perfectly honest? Natsu didn't want Juvia to see Gray like that.

Of course the stupid snowman deserved the reprimanding of the century from the Water Mage, but was it worth it to watch her rise from where she'd been bed-ridden for months, glide along the wooden floor like some sort of lifeless ghost, and approach the man she loved dearly with a look of shameless contempt or undeserving forgiveness? Would it be worth it to watch her pull him in for a long overdue embrace, only for him to coldly push her away, announcing that he cared not for her or anyone else in the slightest anymore? Would it be worth it to watch her react similar to Lucy, slapping him across the face, gritting her teeth and standing her ground, only for it to tear her up even more later on?!

Frowning, Natsu glanced behind him to catch a glimpse of Lucy- they were currently riding their leopard-beast back to the little village, while Erza preferred a perfectly normal horse and Happy flew alongside them. Lucy's arms were wrapped tentatively around his abdomen, remaining perfectly still and not wanting to give off any indication that she was deathly afraid of what Juvia would be like…or what she would do when they told her about Gray.

But it would be wrong to keep it from her. She out of everyone deserved to know.

And Natsu could also tell that Gray was on Lucy's mind, which was expected, but he still found himself swallowing that rising twinge of jealousy that wanted to surface whenever he thought about Lucy and Gray getting a little too chummy. It was wrong to think like that now- Lucy had to stand and listen to one of her closest friends mercilessly denounce her friendship, having to listen to things you should never hear from someone you're close to…and Natsu understood it was taking its toll on her.

Oh Mavis, but what would _Juvia_ do, who cared about Gray more than anyone else? He was the man who brought light into her life…and yet, he was the man who took it all away again.

"You're tense," Lucy murmured into his back, and her awareness of that fact only made him more anxious.

"You say like it's a surprise."

Erza had been nothing less than steely during the trip, her expression locked solely forward the whole time, but Natsu had caught the way those serious orbs flickered his way. For a moment it was as if she'd tipped off that she knew something the others didn't, but she kept silent. Natsu returned the fleeting look, but sighed and relaxed in Lucy's hold.

"…I'm really sorry Lucy."

Lucy yelped, emitting an unexpected squeak. "H-huh? What are you apologizing for?"

"I promised I would bring Gray back." His hands were white-knuckling the reigns of the beast, doing his best to keep them from trembling. "I told you that because you were just so frantic and worried, and I wanted to calm you down…but I started believing that it would be easy. If I hadn't barged in that guild, maybe Gray…wouldn't have ran away…"

"Escaping was Gray's choice. Pushing us away was Gray's choice…you can't be personally blamed for any of that," Lucy said softly, her eyes sagging dejectedly. "He made it clear he wants nothing to do with us anymore, even if it means dissolving the strongest team."

Happy visibly winced, and even Erza's hardened façade seemed to falter after hearing that one.

"Look, I know how much that loser means to you," Natsu commented flatly, with Lucy's ears quickly turning red.

"It's not like _that_-!"

"Still, it's not hard to see that it physically hurts you, and that's what I'm apologizing for," Natsu mumbled, narrowing his eyes. "I haven't been able to bring him back home…and I don't think I even can."

"It's still not too late…he can still come home, just like everyone else…" Lucy pointed out, as always her eyes never losing that spark of hope.

"…not too late for _us_, maybe." Natsu's voice was thick, heavy, and deeply bothered. "…but what about for Juvia?"

The rest of the journey was gravely quiet.

. . .

Approaching the lone house drenched with unremitting rain filled everyone with a remorseful dread. All of them were secretly hoping that the rain would have gone away during their absence, but there it remained, persistently providing a gloomy atmosphere that matched the emotions of the Rain Woman within. The four had braced themselves as they approached the front door, with Natsu landing a heavy hand on the door's handle and cautiously pushing it open.

Almost immediately he was met with the large concerned eyes of Wendy sitting in a chair, her head snapping up as soon as the foreign sound reached her ears. Natsu could see her muscles visibly become taut, like she was readying to blow away an intruder, but her defensive state melted away when his broad grin crossed his face- something familiar, and something that masked his own worries.

"Hey-!" Natsu's attempt at a friendly greeting was cut off when the Sky Dragon Slayer plowed straight into his chiseled stomach, embracing him with a vice-like hug that forced the wind right out of him.

"I'm so glad you're back…I-I'm so sorry…" Wendy wept, and looking down into her watering eyes revealed to Natsu that something was devastatingly wrong. She looked absolutely_ exhausted_ and thinner than usual, and even her solace-seeking hug wasn't as wholehearted as he expected. In a flash Natsu was on his knee and eye-level to her, but he was torn between demanding answers from her for providing the comfort she clearly sought out. He quickly went with the comfort path as Carla spontaneously appeared and took on the responsibility of explaining.

"Wendy has tried her absolute best, but Juvia…the poor girl's condition only ever worsens, and now it's wearing down Wendy as well." Carla narrowed her eyes disdainfully; her expression was sharp but edged with sadness. "Wendy's specialty is healing physical ailments…but even the strongest magic has trouble closing up emotional wounds…"

"Carla…" Happy trailed dejectedly, all joy out of seeing his lady love deflating after hearing the news. Everyone had hoped Juvia would have recovered somewhat- she was one of Fairy Tail's most remarkable wizards, and moreover with Fairy Tail slowly being stitched back together, surely she would have mustered up the strength needed to go see everyone. Surely she would have wanted to return to the fight…

"I…I can't…I don't even know what's physically wrong with her!" Wendy wailed, her face getting lost in the nook of Natsu's shoulder. "I've done all I can, but her fever won't go down, and she's so weak…and I can only work on her for so long…! I-I'm sorry-!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself! You gave so much for her; so much more than we could have asked out of you," Lucy interjected, kneeling next to Natsu to soothingly pat Wendy's back. "Magic just can't fix everything, and we're eternally grateful that you've looked out for her in our absence. I'm sure Juvia especially appreciates all you've done, sticking by her side and everything."

"More than we can say for other people," Natsu gritted through his teeth. Lucy shot him a brief look before turning back to Wendy.

"…At the same time, Juvia's been in the rain for almost eight months straight, six without any supervision…a fever coming on from that of course would be hard to treat," Lucy pondered quietly. "But then again, she'd been stuck in the rain for a large amount of her life, and she hadn't mentioned getting deathly sick then. The cause…must not be from the rain after all…it must just be a side effect."

"Why has no one fetched for Porlyusica?" Erza demanded, clenching her fist with frustration written all over her face. "To rely solely on Wendy like this is ineffable and highly irresponsible-!"

"Oh _believe me_, I sought out the additional help from Porlyusica _many_ times," huffed Carla, folding her arms. "Knowing that she's Edolas' counterpart of Wendy's mother, I assumed she would have been somewhat willing to lend her assistance…"

Erza gnashed her teeth. "So then _why_-?"

"She refused to assist any more humans after her encounter with the last one that summoned her help," Carla snarled bitterly, her paws curling into fists. "She said that her last patient had gone partially mad with power after coming to see her about the markings that had appeared on his body…"

Natsu's pupils shrunk as Lucy's head instantly snapped towards Carla. "G-Gray…?!"

"I had the same hunch, but even after I told her Gray was partially at fault for Juvia's condition, she refused, saying she didn't want to get mixed up in such wretched affairs…and I traveled back there many times, but she's been gone every single time ever since, with no sign of her return."

Lucy's heart sank into her stomach. "W-where did she go…?"

"What…what has Gray…?" Erza suddenly gaped, but she shook off her pensiveness and marched straight for Juvia's bedroom. Natsu quickly pulled himself away from Wendy and was hot on her heels before surpassing her, with Lucy dashing after. Wendy brushed off any lingering tears and followed, even though she knew they'd be right back on her face as soon as the others reacted to Juvia's less than desirable state.

"Juvia…Juvia!" Natsu wailed, tearing through the house and making a mess of things during his romp. He could be chided for it later- he had to get to Juvia, and _now_.

But once he stumbled into her room situated at the very end of the hall, he froze, suddenly losing the will to move. Lucy, Erza, and Happy piled in the doorway behind him, only to gain uneasy expressions that rivaled Natsu's.

She was still there, certainly, but she looked so small and frail, hooded eyes dazedly gazing up at the ceiling. Her chest rose and fell with an uneven beat and unnatural rhythm, one hand placed softly over her heart as the other dangled off the side of her bed, fisted with what little strength she had.

Natsu was horrified and nearly decomposed on the floor, but Lucy and Erza pushed their way past him and threw themselves at Juvia's side; Lucy grasping Juvia's arm gingerly while Erza hastily moved to graze a hand across her face. Juvia stirred at the new contact and the sound of people other than Wendy, gently turning her head to greet them with a weary smile, but even that had been startlingly faint…

She was made out of water, after all- it was almost like she was evaporating away, and only a fraction of her was still left to go.

Natsu had landed on his knees at one point, Erza and Lucy flooding out reassurances and apologizes to Juvia, simply showering her with love and trying to get her to respond to anything. Wendy and Carla arrived moments later, Carla frowning and looking away while Wendy partially hid herself behind the door frame, still ashamed at what she'd failed to do.

"I can't…I don't…" Natsu trembled, shaking his head desperately. He and Juvia were never _close_ friends, but he'd seen all she was capable of and well respected her strength. She was clever too, always finding new ways to use water in a fight to her advantage…and she was so unconditionally kind, giving a smile to everyone even if they didn't want it. She was pure, untainted by her own depressing past and had a heart that welcomed all, no matter who they were or what they did in their lives.

Yeah, Fairy Tail had needed someone like her. Someone with her unconditional love, her compassion, her optimism, her passion, and her loyalty to her friends, willing to fight for them until the bitter end and more than willing to give more than what was given to her…

Where was THAT Juvia? If the fading girl before him was supposed to be her…she didn't deserve any of this! All Juvia had ever done since joining Fairy Tail was give all her love, and now here she was, suffering slowly and no one knew what to do to make it stop.

"I feel partially responsible, Juvia," Erza whispered quietly. "Gray…he contacted me at one point, asking for my counsel on how to tell you about his plans for departure…he said he wasn't going to be gone all that long, so I told him that as long as he came back quickly, Gray could talk it out with you afterwards. If I knew this was permanent, I would have _never-"_

"It's not your fault," Juvia assured weakly. "It was ultimately Gray-sama's choice…"

"…but he was helping Jellal and I for some time, doing his part to track Avatar from the inside and feeding us information." Erza's eyes twisted shut. "But at some point, he'd cut off all communications with me, and I'd thought he'd been killed…!"

"Erza, she-!" Lucy stammered, but Juvia's sharp intake of breath caught her off-guard. Slowly, her flat blue eyes connected with Erza and Lucy's gazes and simply stayed there.

"He joined…a dark guild…?"

"He was looking for leads on E.N.D. to be exact. He had no plans to follow through with the Purification Ritual they had been plotting, however," Erza explained quickly. "They were followers of Zeref, so he'd been hoping to find Zeref's location through them, and he contacted me not just for back up, nor for a failsafe through Jellal just in case something went wrong…"

Erza's eyes softened as her lip quivered.

"…he only wanted to protect you, but he felt horrible about having to leave you, and he didn't know what to tell you…so he asked for my opinion, and I told him he should leave-!"

"…don't blame yourself," Juvia responded emptily, rolling her gaze away again. "Even if…you were to suggest it…it was Gray-sama…that ultimately made the choice."

"I suppose, but I have to apologize for even putting the notion in his head that this was a good idea! I thought he wouldn't be away that long, but when he stopped communicating with me, I feared the worst- that he had been killed, and you didn't have a clue!"

Juvia was silent and perfectly still, but anyone with a trained eye could see the subtle tensing in her muscles.

"…but he is alive?"

"Yeah, he's alive," Lucy sighed, closing her eyes and hanging her head despairingly. Juvia quirked an eyebrow slightly at this.

"…why did that come out as bad news?"

Lucy, Erza, and Happy went very quiet, while Wendy was coddling Carla and watching curiously. After what seemed like an agonizing silence, Lucy and Erza traded the most secretive of glances before hovering over Juvia and treating her like she was made of porcelain.

They launched into lightly sugar-coated accounts of how they didn't know where Gray was, but they spoke of how he was more than likely looking for a way home. Happy even got in on the act, assuming that Gray stopped by a river somewhere to catch a barrel of fish to bring home, and that he was planning on having a huge grill out afterward- and Happy would sneak a few raw ones himself.

Wendy hung back, struggling enough with the idea of Gray joining a dark guild and knowing that he was probably the last human to see Porlyusica, but Gray was no longer Natsu's focus. That had been taken up by Juvia- as the trio tried to fill her head with excuses and possible explanations for Gray's prolonged "vacation", her face became increasingly flat. And that's when Natsu caught it- the hopeful look that always lit up her face no matter was she was doing? It was gone.

They told her he was coming home…when they _all _knew very well that he most certainly wasn't.

"No…_no_," grunted Natsu, scrambling across the floor and refusing to stay silent anymore. Lucy went pale while Juvia moved her head the slightest bit to face him. "Don't give her false assurance…don't tell her _lies_-!"

"Natsu, look at her! She's terribly ill, and inducing anymore unneeded stress on her-!" Erza started to say, but Natsu snapped his gaze toward her and miraculously cut her off.

"No, she's still a member of Fairy Tail, and I don't care if her whole body was bandaged from head to toe- Juvia is strong enough to not need your pity, so start treating her like it!"

Juvia's eyes widened slightly as they started to shimmer. "N-Natsu…?"

His gaze fell from Erza and onto her, his expression rough and solid yet the slightest bit contrite. When he realized he couldn't look into her jaded eyes to tell her this, he squeezed his shut and tightly clenched his fist. With an extreme amount of hesitance, he reminded himself that she deserved to know.

"Juvia…Gray gave up on us."

Juvia merely blinked, stuck in full on denial mode. "No, he didn't."

"Yes he _did_," Natsu said a little more forcefully, and Juvia receded slightly beneath her blanket. "He straight up told us that he cut off his ties from Fairy Tail, from all his friends, from us…and even you. Even his guild mark is gone…!"

Juvia now looked ghostly horrified. Wendy's hands flew to her face to cover her gasp and Erza and Lucy were glaring daggers at Natsu. Natsu either didn't care or didn't notice, because he carried on.

"I don't know why or how or what's gotten into him, but while he wasn't entirely dedicated to that Avatar guild…he's made it clear that he's stripped himself of everyone he knew and-"

"Natsu, what are you doing?!" Erza demanded, face darkening as she glowered murderously. "Can't you see she's already worried sick?! And now you're telling her-"

"It…it is true, isn't it?"

Juvia's meek voice cut through the budding argument, and immediately took the wind right out Erza's words. Natsu was slightly seething while Lucy eventually gulped and sent a regretful nod in Juvia's direction. Juvia went still at the conformation, but that only whipped Erza into a frenzy all over again.

"…ugh, I can't_ believe_ him! I know he's pulled stupid stunts like this before, but leaving Juvia like this is unforgiveable…!"

"It's Gray-sama…Juvia is absolutely positive that he wouldn't have done any of this without a reason, because he made it clear that he cares for us all so much-" The Water Mage halted to perform a violent cough, her whole body quaking afterwards. "…and I don't think he would have done it unless he had to."

"But that doesn't make much sense," Wendy intervened weakly, looking incredibly small in the chair that had been pulled up next to Juvia's bed. "What reason could there ever be to justify turning your back on those you care about…?"

"…Juvia doesn't know." The words were dripping with pain, but the ones that followed held conviction. "But Juvia does not need to know, and would you like to know why?"

She paused for a breath, then relaxed her shoulders.

"…because she believes in Gray. She has faith in him even if the rest of you don't. Juvia always will."

"…dear woman, you're much too forgiving!" exclaimed Carla. "In the event that he_ does_ come back, you can't possibly hope to let this go undiscussed…!"

"Absolutely not." Juvia's eyes narrowed. "When he comes back, he will give his piece. His side of the story deserves to be spoken…and then Juvia will decide whether or not Gray-sama deserves to be punished."

"Juvia, because of him you're sick," Erza pointed out. "Physically and emotionally…!"

"…that's not in his control." Juvia rolled over, her back facing everyone. "It's Juvia's fault for being so in love with him. But don't you_ dare_ say he doesn't deserve to be loved, because if no one loves him…then who will?"

Erza was at a loss for a response, while Lucy and Wendy both had to look away. Natsu, while not wanting to disagree with her, couldn't help but be rubbed wrong by the whole situation. He stood stoically over her, keeping a hard set to his gaze, but he really, really hated seeing Juvia like this.

"…whether Gray had a good reason or not, he shouldn't have counted you out! He shouldn't have joined some crummy dark guild just for information! He shouldn't have pushed away everyone that loves him…!" Natsu took a shaky step forward, only to cascade next to Juvia's bedside and clench his fist with frustration. "…And I shouldn't have promised anything._ I_ shouldn't have left…"

"Don't say that Natsu- you got super strong because of your intense training," Happy tried to point out, but Natsu violently shook his head.

"So what? _So what_?! What good is strength going to do me when I failed to do the one thing I promised, and that was to protect Fairy Tail…I turn around one second and everyone just threw it all away!"

He rose from the floor in an angry flurry, Juvia watching him quietly as he faced everyone else.

"_Why_?! Why did you all think this was a good idea?!" Natsu demanded. Lucy had opened her mouth to say something but was immediately interrupted by Erza, stepping forward and glaring darkly.

"It was the Master's choice to not rebuild the guild, and he wanted us all to follow our own paths," she stated without remorse. "It was unfortunate that we had to disband at all, but it was for the good of all."

Natsu's pupils shrunk until they were nothing but pinpricks.

"Good of all?! You tell me that Wendy wanted to find a new guild just so she could be surrounded by people that care about her! You tell me that Juvia wanted to be ditched in the rain! You tell me that Gray would have joined Avatar whether or not he was still in Fairy Tail!"

His voice lost some of his edge, but none of its vigor.

"…but _now_ look at us. If I had been there, Wendy would know that she was always loved, Juvia wouldn't be sick, and Lucy wouldn't have been left all alone…Gray might still be with us…and we would have been more prepared for that Acnologia attack- so many people are still really hurt…"

Lucy clutched at her arm while Erza once again tried to regain control of the situation.

"Natsu, for one, you can't shoulder all the blame on yourself. Two, whether you were there or not, Master Makarov would have still been resolute in his choice. And three, what happened is firmly in the past- you can complain about it all you want, but it won't change it. You have to accept it."

She put her hands on her hips and dared Natsu to challenge her this time; Natsu gnashed his teeth together and lit his fists on fire, but he made no move to deny her claim.

"Fine…but I have to know just one thing," Natsu huffed, but he didn't take his eyes off of Erza. "I want you all to look me in the eye and tell me that you would have still willingly quit Fairy Tail if I had been there to stop you."

Hard looks filled everyone's faces, but the following silence spoke volumes. Natsu's face twisted up as he roared and kicked over an innocent side table, moving to slam his fist against the wall. Erza wasn't looking bold anymore, Wendy seemed even more exhausted as she petted Carla for comfort, Happy was sulking in midair, and the nauseated Lucy was afraid to approach Natsu when he was in such a sullen state.

"Mmph…please…it's fine…"

Everyone's gazes rolled over to Juvia, who was shakily trying to sit up in bed on her own. Carla instantly chastised her for doing so when she had such little energy to begin with, but Juvia shook her head and adjusted herself until her back was leaning against the wall, panting harshly just from the effort. Her head turned to face Natsu, who had on a subtle look of quiet surprise.

"You are…trying to make things right, yes?"

"I…I_ tried_…" Natsu responded weakly, losing his once firm stance. "But ever since I started, it's just become blatantly obvious that I can't fix everything…especially if there are things that don't want to be fixed."

Juvia pondered that quietly, closing her eyes and carefully placing her hands into her lap, one fisted and the other draped on top of it.

"…regardless, you can't get discouraged. All of you are so very strong…" she attempted a smile, just barely able to pull it off as her head felt like it was spinning. "You can rise above _anything_…Juvia knows it."

Her eyes were half-lidded as she looked at nothing in particular at this point, tensing for a cough, then practically going limp afterwards.

"Even when the worst of times came to pass, we all have been able to pick up the pieces in our own ways," she continued. "Juvia has seen you all do this time after time, and she does not believe you've suddenly lost the ability to do that. Things may be bleak now…but they can only get better if you let them."

Wendy was now hugging Lucy while Erza nodded slowly, and Natsu was staring harshly at the ground. A pensive smile filled Juvia's face now- small and subtle, but it was certainly there.

"And despite all the bad things, that doesn't nullify the good…think of Gray-sama. Even though he did what he did…does that suddenly make all the good he's done meaningless?"

"No, and I wish I could have made him see that," Natsu murmured, but he eventually looked Juvia in the eye. "You know, part of the reason I've been holding off on finding him is because I want it to be Gray I bring back, not…not whatever he has become…"

He narrowed his eyes and thumped his fist against his chest.

"But if Gray, for whatever reason, just doesn't believe in himself anymore...then we will."

"Thank you…" Juvia beamed, as the others started to chime up in agreement, her eyes glistening with the first signs of tears. "Knowing you haven't given up on yourself nor Gray-sama…it puts me at ease. So don't apologize for not bringing him back, Natsu…knowing you still have faith in him is more than enough…"

A quick yawn escaped her as she drifted back down to her pillow, a shuddering chill rocking through her body afterward. Erza smiled lightly and pulled the blanket over her, while Wendy fluffed the pillow and Lucy moved Juvia's hair out of her eyes. From there, it looked like she was about to drift off into a peaceful and much needed nap.

But then Juvia's body suddenly contorted, one hand clutched at her chest, almost like her heart had all of a sudden just stopped.


	6. Broken (Hearted)

**Apparently I like ripping my own soul out...but I am really proud of how this one turned out. ...*ugly sobbing*  
**

* * *

Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

_~Prompt 3, Part 2: Broken (Hearted)~_  
.:The True Code Blue:.

There again would never be a man as loved as Gray Fullbuster…for the majority of all that pure unconditional love towards him came from one person, and one person alone, and her existence and consciousness was slowly fading away.

She kept him in her mind even during what she knew would be her last fleeting moments, as she wanted those moments to be filled with nothing but happy times, and she was never happier than when she was within his presence.

Yes, never, ever happier.

"_Wh…what's happening?! Why does she suddenly look like that?!"_

"_I think there's something wrong with her heart…!"_

"_Juvia, Juvia…! Are you all right?!"_

"_Don't shake her like that, Natsu!"_

"_Sorry! Sorry…"_

From the moment they met, Juvia knew she had found something amazing within Gray. Even as they challenged each other at the top of a rain-soaked building that fateful day, the conviction in his voice as he stood against her was a window to the complex yet wonderfully simple soul within. Just by the way he moved and spoke, she could tell he was one that had closed up his emotions…but even so, he still cared about her more in their fleeting encounter than anyone ever had before. He looked past the rain and saw her for the girl she could be, reaching through the gloom to take her hand, and save her life in more ways than one.

Yes, he brought the light into her life, and she owed him so much for that.

"_She's so still…she's so still…"_

"_M-Maybe…a fish will help? F-Fish…like water, after all…"_

"_My magic isn't working…it's not…I can't…aaah…AAAAAAH!"_

"_Wendy, dear child-!"_

She was hopelessly enraptured with the boy, and to someone on the outside looking in, she would be readily dismissed as a psychotic stalker. But that wasn't entirely it- she so desperately wanted to get close to him, but after their rocky battle and bewildering first impressions, she wanted to know more about him without unintentionally putting him off.

Gosh, it was like following a _unicorn_\- finding something so rare and majestic walking amongst his mundane companions. Gray himself was rather average, but all it took was one noteworthy difference to set him apart from the rest and make him seem like magic, and there were plenty of things she could list about him. He was so creative and passionate, he was really easy on the eyes, and while he was admirably tough and refused to take anything flak from anyone, he was still sensitive, and still cared about his guild above all else.

Yes, that was someone Juvia wanted in her life very much.

"_We have to find help immediately!"_

"_There's not enough time, Erza!"_

"_We can't just_ stand_ here either…!"_

When she finally got the strength to approach him during his mini vacation at that ritzy resort, her nerves couldn't have been more shot. She sported a large gold charm to showcase her planned dedication to Fairy Tail, which he approved of, and even earned her a rare warm smile. It was the most delightful thing she'd ever seen in her life…and that one was just for her.

She thought a friendship was building between her and his team when she helped them infiltrate the Tower of Heaven, as she definitely earned respect from Natsu and friendship from Lucy that could never be replaced. She was still unable to spit out her spontaneous love for Gray, but even with his biting offhanded remarks at her and his blatant disinterest in her romantically, he still saw her as someone that was worth protecting, and someone who he wouldn't mind calling a comrade.

Yes, for the moment that was enough.

"_Is…is she crying?! Juvia…!"_

"_I…I can only imagine the pain she's in…and there's nothing we can do…!"_

"_But…she's smiling too…"_

She had learned so many things from him during her acceptance into Fairy Tail- how to laugh at the smallest things, how to properly eat certain sandwiches, how to enjoy each and every day for what it was… He was even the one to initially approach her with the idea for their Fantasia Parade Float, which turned out just so beautiful and like something straight out of a fairy tale…for the first time, she felt like she truly belonged, and it was Gray who helped give her that…

She wasn't used to being around someone she cared about so deeply for this long, as normally they all would have fled at the sight of her rain…but Gray was pleasantly different. Not only had he chased away the rain, but he accepted her, and she didn't know what to do…but apparently her approaches were a little too strong…

Yes, but she hadn't done it on purpose…she was just afraid that if she didn't try hard enough, she'd lose him…

"_H-hey…what's that she's gripping so tightly in her hand…?"_

She'd do anything for him, even die…as he was willing to do the same for her, even if it wasn't out of the sort of love that needed to be reciprocated to be meaningful. She prevented his death at the hands of Meredy, and he in turn rescued her from the once vengeful daughter of his master…but if she had to pick her death, she'd much rather do it alongside him…like back on Tenrou, when doom was imminent and he had wordlessly taken her hand, everything being said with the simple action alone. She returned his sentiments with a little squeeze, just before all was bathed in a brilliant light…

Yes, back then, she could have honestly died contently.

"_In her hand…is that…?"_

"_Yeah…it looks like Gray's necklace…"_

"_Lucy, why are you grabbing her hand-?"_

"_I just…I want to give her some comfort somehow. She's suffering and we can't do a thing about it!"_

Not even seven years could wane away her dedicated love, nor did the time displacement blemish any of Gray's best features. Neither of them had aged a day, and their personalities were still as vibrant and pristine as they day they'd disappeared, and it didn't take long to get back into the swing of things. Gray had been a little disturbed at missing out on so much time, but Juvia had been there for him, reminding him that there still was a life to live…even if Lyon had suddenly insisted on intervening.

But yes, it was somewhat amusing watching Gray get flustered over it, whatever his reasons for it may have been.

"_Guys…is it giving up…if we've done all we can? There's no way…"_

"_Don't talk like that, Wendy! There's still gotta be something-!"_

"_Natsu, stop! Don't…don't make to worse…"_

After toughing through the struggle of the Grand Magic Games, getting the chance to feel his firm hand interlocked with her delicate one…after surviving an attack of dragons brought forth from a long forgotten past…after making it out of that wearisome ordeal alive, she thought that maybe there had been a chance…but still he rejected her, and even Lyon had firmly backed off. Gray made it clear he wasn't romantically interested…but ever since then, he'd been a little more open-minded when it came to her advances. She would never give up.

Yes, she believed that there was still hope.

"_How can you stand seeing her suffer like this?!"_

"_You fool, no one WANTS to this happen…!"_

"_But she definitively doesn't deserve to be alone while she…she…"_

"_Yes. We will stay by her side until the end."_

"…_we're not going anywhere this time…"_

But nothing rocked her to the core quite like running into the man who was Gray's father- the man who was half the reason that Gray was able to walk this world; half the reason this life had been more bearable… she respected the man so much for that alone that she claimed him as her own father- an idea he was happy to roll with. Knowing that the father of her beloved believed in the two of them gave her unmatched strength…but when it came down to it, she _had _to kill him, and she was more than ready to cut off ties with Gray because of it. For anyone else, that would have been unforgivable…

And yet, Gray had not only forgiven her, but thanked her for relieving his father of an inescapable fate. He forgave and thanked her for…doing something so unspeakably horrible…

Love or not, that was a level of kindness even Juvia herself was unsure that she'd ever be able to match.

"_Gads, she's trembling so violently…!"_

"_Wh-why is she jerking like that?! Someone stop her!"_

"_Get a potion, get something-!"_

"_Oh, Juvia-!"_

"_SHIT!"_

Her life, as a matter of fact, had not revolved solely around Gray. It had been more about her quest to become a better person…she just owed a LOT of that accomplishment to Gray himself. Living with him had been the finest six months of her life, and it wasn't because she was finally seeing her dreams become a reality, and she was at long last living her sought out simplest daydreams.

No, it was because slowly, day by day and sluggishly but surely, Gray had finally started opening up. He was deeply tormented by the loss of Silver, and she made sure to give him space and give him comfort at all the right times. She never imposed more than necessary, but when he finally came to accept what had happened…he was so, so much happier. He was so much more relaxed and much more open with how felt, and all without losing that charm that made him who he was.

And _she_ had brought out that part of him, once buried deep under every icy emotional layer of turmoil, all by herself. And that's what made her most proud- she had defrosted his frozen heart, and maybe, just maybe, it had thawed enough to let him finally return the love she herself harbored so persistently.

"_I…I…"_

"_J-Juvia?!"_

"_She's gone limp-"_

"_But I heard her! I heard her!"_

He shouldn't have left her, shouldn't have let those marks corrupt his body whether he had control or not, shouldn't have kept her in the dark…! He _should_ have told her something was wrong, or that he had a dangerous mission to go on…she would have understood if she couldn't come! Didn't he trust her with the secret, or did he think she was too weak to fend for herself? What had she done to warrant such an opinion from him? She didn't care where he went or why anymore…she just would have liked to know why she'd been completely left out of the equation.

She'd never forget when he'd slowly take longer and longer on his solo missions…when he slowly told her less and less each time he came home…when he refused to talk to her at all…

When he left without any warning. Without a goodbye.

"_Juvia loves you all…Juvia loves all of Fairy Tail…"_

It was true she was mad at him, and even_ she_ couldn't blindly hand wave his actions without him knowing just how much he hurt her. She would replay the anticipated scene of their reunion in her head over and over again every time before she fell asleep each night, internally baking with feverish heat. She knew she would run straight into his arms upon his return, sobbing with uncontrollable relief at seeing him alive and well. He would stand there, feeling bad for making her worry like that…then she wouldn't speak to him at all, returning the silent treatment he'd so readily imposed on her before his departure…

"…_and that still…"_

And only then would he realize how deep his actions cut through her very soul, and he would tremble where he stood, not even sure where to begin to beg for forgiveness. …but the words would come to him –they always did- and with tears welling at his own eyes, he would quietly apologize for bringing back the rain.

"…_includes Gray-sama…"_

And yes, she would forgive him for his otherwise deplorable folly, just as he forgave her for killing his father. She would be able to at last repay a deep debt she kept close to her heart; something she'd not even told Gray about.

"_J-Juvia?!"_

"_She…the necklace fell-! Her eyes-!"_

But whether her heart had simply snapped in two, or had broken into a million and one fragments, or burst into smithereens of infinite dust…

"_Juvia…wake up…JUVIAAAA!"_

"_Natsu-!"_

"_NO! NOOOOOO!"_

...even if it was divided into the smallest pieces it could possibly be, every single bit of her heart would still belong to Gray Fullbuster. She had always loved him unconditionally with all her heart, no matter what he did…

"_J-Juvia…she's gone…"_

…from the moment they met until the very second she died.

_. . ._

The day he left her still insisted on haunting him, whether his bonds were broken or not. It was impossible to free his mind of the memories of what was going through his head that fateful night, for that was the last time he truly felt anything at all. Erza may have given him the nudge, and Juvia wasn't going to take it well…but this was his choice.

He was making this sacrifices for them, for him…_for her_…

He would honest-to-goodness be completely lying if he said the six months he spent with her were meaningless. On the contrary, they had been some of the most impactful days of his life. He ended up at the little house planning for it to only be temporary- he just needed a quick place to stay for a week or so until he got his plan of action in mind. Juvia, of course, welcomed him in with open arms, and she…she had kept her distance. It was strange- she cooked for him, picked up after him, and tended to his needs even when he insisted that she didn't need to, but at the same time, that was all she did for him. She never went above and beyond, and she never did anything less- not being smothered by her allowed him to see Juvia in a completely different light.

They could talk like normal people, train together normally, go on jobs normally…and heavens, it was so refreshing, and he found that spending time with her was somehow making him a better person. That bright smile of hers became a beacon for him each and every day, and he found himself unable to prevent the grin that built on his own face whenever he saw it. For the first time in years, he felt so warm, and it was because of her…he wondered if that's what love felt like; if that's what she felt like whenever her eyes fell upon him and her whole face lit up with an unabashed glow.

It felt like such a fragile feeling, and he didn't want to lose that, whatever it was…

But his work toward eliminating the world of E.N.D. had caused her to end up in the crosshairs; too many times had he ran possible scenarios in his head that somehow involved her. If she was killed, he knew he wouldn't be able to withstand another person stolen from his life, and if she witnessed him get murdered himself –worst case scenario- how would he rest in peace knowing her memories were marred with such a horrific vision?

He was well aware that there was strength in numbers, and Juvia was one of the most adaptable and versatile people he knew. He was always glad when she had his back in a fight, and they had pulled off some powerful Unison Raids in the past…but he couldn't have her with him when the time came.

He couldn't have anyone with him.

His emotions were going to betray him like they always did. Always, always, _always _he got too emotionally caught up in whatever he was doing, and he could never do anything right because of it. His master and her daughter, Natsu, Fairy Tail, Silver, now Juvia…all of them had landed in the line of fire of his own stupid choices at some point, and he was so sick of that happening. How did he plan to defeat E.N.D. when an emotional wound could gouge into him at any time? When there were too many things –people- that could be used against him? He didn't want another failure on his hands- not when this was so important, and definitely not when his feelings were the root of the issue…

So he vowed to make this his last stupid mistake. …and when it was all over, he would be back. But that wasn't a promise he could give and keep though, so he didn't.

"This will be the last time I ever feel like this…I have to make this stop…" he whispered under his breath, slowly approaching Juvia's bed the night of his infamous departure. He almost wanted her to wake up, jolt into an upright position, grab him by the shoulders, and at the last moment get him to change his mind. He wanted her to smack the sense back into him, and maybe ebb away his building obsession with E.N.D… She was quite literally the only thing standing between him and this life altering decision…

But he was making that decision right now, while she was blissfully unaware of what he was about do. Blissfully unable to stop him.

He had spread his markings so that they covered nearly his whole body, a penumbra being amongst the night-made shadows that painted Juvia's room. He blended in almost too well with the dark –aside from the glint in his one red eye- and she didn't stir in the slightest as he loomed over her. He knew he shouldn't even be this close, as it was only making it harder to leave, but if he didn't do it, his weakness would quickly become his own regret.

"You'll never know how sorry I am," he quivered, slowly reaching his darkened hands up to his neck and grasping the chain that hung there. "I should be thanking you, for finally letting me open my heart again after so long…"

His fingers lifted the chain up over his head, pausing a moment to watch the trinket sparkle with the minimal light in the room.

"…but here I go again, screwing everything up. _I know that_, and yet I can't stop myself." He kneeled down beside her bed, taking her hand in his as lightly as he could, turning it so it was palm-side up. "If there was ever a person that didn't deserve any of this, it's you, Juvia… I can't be the man you fell in love with anymore…but you know that I'll still worry about you."

He gently curled her hand into a fist, until it was firmly clutching the necklace within.

"Hang onto this as tightly as you can, okay? Keep it, and always remember that a piece of the old me still exits…" A watery smile crossed his face, although it was hidden by the darkness. "A piece of the old me…that remains with you."

Hesitantly, he leaned down over her form until his face was nearly flush with hers; then, neatly parting her hair out of her face like opening a curtain, gently pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. Her face subconsciously lit up, like she _knew_… He couldn't help but smile–the last genuine smile he'd have for a long time- but then it became sad all over again, because he knew what was going to come next.

And Gray walked away out the door and out of her life, not knowing that this was the moment he condemned her to death by a broken heart.


	7. Bandages

**Ack, sorry I got off track guys. Yesterday was...one thing after another. But eh, I'm already behind on the week anyway, yet I won't stop until the end! Yes...the end... *breathes through paper bag* **

* * *

Even the Devil Was Once an Angel 

_~Prompt 4, Part 1: Bandages~_  
.:The One-Way Trip to Hell:.

It had been weeks since Juvia's passing, and while telling her about Gray had been ungodly difficult, returning back to the "guild" and informing them of a permanent loss of another member was soul crushing. Morale collapsed _immediately_, resolve was at an all-time low, and Fairy Tail had never looked so hopeless. And you could tell just how deep it cut into everybody, especially when even Gajeel was consistently dropping tears for the loss of one of his oldest comrades, and just seeing the stoic Iron Dragon Slayer in such a tormented state only brought more pain to everyone else.

Natsu would never tell, but he'd cried too. He made sure he was alone while he did it, but he did sob really, _really_ hard. He couldn't help feeling responsible; for giving up too soon on his search for Gray to instead attend to his selfish desire of bringing everything back to the way it once was. Natsu was never a fan of change, and any time big ones happened it made him feel uncomfortable and powerless. Yes, of course there were forces outside of his control, but when there was always something he could do; always something he could have done differently…

Guilt consumed him for weeks.

But specifically, he hid himself away when he was feeling extra emotional, because Fairy Tail still technically lacked a master. The guild lacked someone for everyone to turn to, and with spirits so shattered, no one could really stand up and be the pillar for everyone to seek security from. A few had tried to get Laxus to take the place of his grandfather, but he personally felt that he was unfit to protect those he cared about- and that attack from Tartarus left him robbed of a lot of his strength anyway. Gajeel attempted once, as he had high authority back in the Magic Council, but while it didn't work at first because his methods were questionable, now it was because he'd been shaken to the core by the loss of Juvia, and he didn't even want to think of what would happen had someone else fallen while under his watch. He refused to put himself in such a position.

Erza and even Jellal had been the ones to organize everyone and try to get a sense of normality going, although it never lasted- Jellal felt undeserving of ordering around so many people he had wronged at some point, and Erza's resolve cracked when Juvia died right in front of her. Erza was disturbed for days because of it, and to ask her to comfort others when she needed it herself was just a little too much to ask, even out of Titania; the same could be said for Mirajane, and she herself still hadn't gotten over the loss of Makarov. In fact, none of them had.

Lucy…bless her, she had the heart to attempt to lift everyone's spirits again, and she tried to pick everyone up, yet even with her pure heart of gold it had been too much weight for her to bear alone. She kept a stiff upper lip when she went around reassuring everyone with the belief that the good things were coming, like Juvia had said, but at the end of the day she'd seek out comfort in the form of Natsu. After how badly he'd unintentionally hurt her before, the least he could go was give her some arms to console her and a shoulder to cry on.

And that was why he couldn't let anyone see him so broken- he was the only one left that could properly lead.

There had to be one person- just _one person_ that was still above the point of faltering. Natsu would never, ever believe that any emotion was a sign of weakness, but there had to be a beacon of unwavering light in the overwhelming darkness. Someone to bandage up all these emotional wounds and help them all carry on. Constant and somewhat empty reassurance wasn't going to fix anyone or anything, and neither was rolling over on the ground and just giving up (which Jet and Droy had tried at one point until Levy got to them). Action needed to be taken, and thankfully for Natsu, that was something he was really good at.

It was his fault he had pulled everyone out of their content new lives to drag them into his disillusioned attempt at bringing back the past…so to repay them for such sacrifice, he was going to lead them forward into the future. A future without suffering, a future where there was no need for anyone to be left behind, and a future with no more evil in the world…

A future without Zeref.

Oh, Natsu had done a considerable amount of thinking –and Happy had shown concern for his health in the process- on quite literally the worst moments in his life, and he found that all of it stemmed back to Zeref. Zeref had created demons and created Acnologia, and in turn those vile things ran amok in the world, bringing nothing but sorrow everywhere they went. Lullaby killed many, Deliora destroyed far too much, Acnologia had stripped everyone currently in Fairy Tail of seven years of their lives, made those left behind weep endlessly, sank the sacred island that housed the grave of _the _Mavis Vermillion, and massacred Igneel right in front of Natsu's eyes before the dragon's time was properly up…

Tartarus took Aquarius away from Lucy, tortured Erza, possessed Elfman, captured Mira, decimated Magnolia, put everyone through hell…and those demons directly led to the destruction of Fairy Tail…

And it let Zeref get back the Book of E.N.D.

"No more…" Natsu declared one day, looking definitively pissed as he stared down a tree. It burst into flames just from being glared at a moment too long. "…_no more_."

He led a one man revolution within the brittle guild, marching through the campsite and igniting the pitiful campfire smack in the middle with nothing but a snap of his fingers. Everyone slowly crawled out of their tents the one morning Natsu decided to take charge, wondering just why he was making such a racket when it was obvious no one wanted to do anything. But he ignored the annoyed hisses and bemoaning taunts thrown his way- he climbed atop a boulder that happened to be lingering around to stand tall above the rest, and the fierce look on his face demanded attention. Anyone that refused to gather –ahem, Gajeel would have rather slept in- was immediately hit with a plume of flames, thus everyone collected together and listened to what he apparently had to say.

"We're _done_, everyone," he spoke gravely, the normally casual tone in his voice all but gone as he wanted to drive his point home. "We're done sniveling. We're done crying. We're done feeling sorry for ourselves…we had our time to mourn, and now it's time to pull ourselves together and _stop_."

Such words were almost strange coming from Natsu, but nevertheless, everyone's attention was raptured. The Strauss siblings were whispering amongst themselves while Levy looked somewhat worried, and the likes of Laxus and Gajeel were staring with narrowed gazes. Erza and Wendy both still looked wounded, holding each other for support as the Exceeds had gathered towards the front, Happy in particular looking a little shaky.

"We're all hurt…but it's about time we started to _do_ something about it," Natsu continued, determined flames billowing about his body. "No more beating ourselves up…I say it's high time we take this pent up woe and unleash it, turning our emotions into unparalleled strength…! Fairy Tail was always good at getting revenge, but I think we all can agree that there's one person out there in the world…that we'd be better off without."

Lucy jumped at the sting of his words, but they were stirring the rest of the group's curiosities.

"…Zeref."

"You're insane!" shrieked Evergreen, grabbing at her hair. "We barely made it out alive against his demons, let alone himself!"

"Yeah, how do you expect us to take on the big man himself?" Bickslow cawed afterward, with his babies chiming up as well.

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Well in the state we're in now and the attitudes we have, _of course_ it's going to be a massacre!" Natsu bellowed, and everyone could see the fire building up in his throat. "But we may never be the strongest guild in Fiore again, and we may never see some of our dear friends again…but I _refuse_ to stop here! I hate all of this as much as the rest of you, but if we stop here then we really will have lost…and Fairy Tail doesn't know what it means to give up!"

He punched his fist into his palm as his smile returned, showcasing his ridiculously sharp teeth.

"For our fallen guild and lost comrades…I say we do what we should have done a long time ago, and purge the world of its greatest evil! We'll defeat Zeref and rid the world of his black magic, we'll seal the Book of E.N.D. as Igneel requested of me…we'll carry on with our heads held high, just as Gramps, Juvia, and all of our other friends would want us to!"

As Natsu continued to sing high praises of hope to the crowd before him, one by one they slowly found themselves moved by his words, as their meaning sparking a glimmer of hope within each one of them- something that hadn't been felt in a long time. The will to keep moving on was reignited, and eventually the crowd had gone from a steady droning applause to full-on uproarious cheers.

"I still believe we can make everything right again, and if it comes down to it? If we are out of options, left with no better choices and our backs are against the wall with no other way out, and it's a matter of life and death..." Natsu threw his bandaged arm into the air, also proudly showing off his Fairy Tail guild mark as he flashed the guild's symbol with his finger and thumb. "...then I _will_ kill Zeref myself."

Natsu's eyes were narrowed and sharp as his gesture was returned tenfold, the small crowd before him erupting in nearly unanimous agreement. Natsu's words had done the trick- that Fairy Tail spark was reignited within everyone, and to have something to fight for again snapped them out of their deep depression. As Natsu stood there with his arm victoriously in the air, the agitated sounds of pride almost made it seem like old times again.

Except that Lucy hadn't joined in the cheers.

. . .

Fairy Tail had gotten to work instantly, and _everyone_ had pitched in. Jellal and Meredy had investigated a few more dark guilds that had been dedicated to Zeref to learn of his whereabouts since the encounter in Tartarus. With that intel, Levy and Gajeel had used their council connections to conduct many, many searches across Fiore, slowly but steadily narrowing down the location, with Jet running around and fetching whatever Levy requested wherever it might have been. Bickslow offered to keep the supplies stocked, as someone had to stay on top of the practical things- also at Erza's insistence, but he and his babies were still happy to take the responsibility, and the Oracion Seis kept it all under tabs.

Others had trained themselves for the inevitable fight against the black wizard- Laxus led the sparring sessions, and actually turned out to be good at building upon everyone's weaker attributes. Droy had lost a considerable amount of weight and started eating better, Freed worked on writing his enchantments faster, Elfman gained a lot of confidence in himself while training alongside Evergreen, and Lisanna had learned to take the form of some more threatening animals. Mirajane encouraged everyone while pushing them to their limits with her demon form, and surprisingly enough she worked well with Laxus' methods. Even Wendy practiced with Gajeel a few times on activating his Dragon Force at will like she could. Meanwhile, Carla and Lily had attempted to teach Happy an extra form of magic, but the blue cat had preferred to increase his magic stamina- the longer he could help Natsu soar the better, and he felt that was plenty enough.

Natsu oversaw everything, and at some point the group has silently accepted him as the Seventh Master of Fairy Tail. He didn't necessarily want the title, even if it was unspoken, but if this was how things were going to get better, then he could roll with it. The progress made every day working toward the unavoidable confrontation with Zeref gave Natsu more confidence in his decision-making, especially when even Erza gave him nods of approval for his developing leadership skills. The only little thing that made him think twice…was Lucy.

"Are you out of your mind?!" was how she started off most of her chastisings, which was then followed by various complaints. She'd constantly point out that Zeref was way stronger than anyone- hence why they'd started training. She claimed that looking for Zeref was the same as craving a death wish- but someone had to find him. She begged for Natsu to stop, as it was possible he was leading them straight into something they couldn't back out of…

He distracted her often by offering to spar with her- she'd been wanting to show off how strong she had gotten, and while Natsu had to hold back himself to _not_ melt her where she stood, he conceded that she indeed had become quite the challenge. He'd witnessed her mastery over her spirits and the forms her Star Dress bestowed unto her, and it was somewhat mesmerizing how she could seamlessly swap from one fighting style to the next. It almost made Natsu wish he wasn't constricted to just fire.

"I dunno what you're worried about, Lucy," Natsu chuckled one day, when Lucy had equipped her Taurus Star Dress and had him wrapped around a tree with her whip. She had her hip cocked in front of him and her body leaned forward as she teased him over how she managed to restrain Fairy Tail's fearsome master. Natsu still couldn't help but grin coyly at her. "You're strong enough on your _own_…all of us together could certainly overpower Zeref."

Lucy's confidence wavered as she unwrapped him from the tree. "I don't know…all he has to do is cast his arm out and we could all easily fall to his death magic…"

Natsu subconsciously grabbed at his scarf upon being freed, but shook it off and planted a hand on Lucy's head. "No, he's been waiting for me specifically to challenge him, and I doubt he'd taint that by straight up killing the army I bring with me."

"Specifically for you?" Lucy echoed, her eyes unknowingly drawn to that bandage on his arm. "Why do you say that?"

"…he said so on more than one occasion," Natsu murmured. "He acts like he's known me his whole life, and that I'm the only one that can kill him, but I know that's not true. I would have remembered him…or Igneel would have at least mentioned it…or something…"

Lucy stared at Natsu skeptically- it appeared to bother him somewhat, but at the same time, he refused to let it get to him. His cheeky grin was back as he playfully tackled her to the ground, tickling her without relent….which was remarkably easy to do, given how much skin was currently exposed. Immediately her face lit up in an unprecedented smile, kicking and flailing and happily demanding for Natsu to stop.

"Wh-what the heck, Natsu?!" Lucy gasped out through giggles, struggling to prevent his hands from running up and down her sides. "We-we…!"

Natsu's grinned was jagged and devious as he eventually gained the upper hand, rolling them around so that he was eventually above her. He ceased his tickling attack, but maintained dominance as she was trapped helplessly beneath him. He wasn't going to do anything, but it was pretty entertaining to watch her squirm against his strength. At some point she flopped and gave up, merely glowering at the simpering Natsu.

"What the heck was all THAT for?!"

Natsu tilted his head and beamed. "It's been a while since I've actually seen you genuinely smile. I figured it was time to bring it out again."

Lucy blinked astonishingly before casting her eyes to the side, hoping Natsu wouldn't noticing the red that was invading her face.

"You're just trying to distract me from the reality of the situation."

"Maybe, but hearing you laugh while I'm doing it is a lot better than you storming off."

He felt Lucy relax under his grip, and he finally thought they'd reached some normal ground, until he realized she wasn't staring at _him_. Her eyes were running up and down the length of his exposed arm, specifically the bandage that kept the skin beneath under wraps. Her eyes narrowed contemptuously as she quirked a golden eyebrow in his direction.

"…you never did tell me what sort of wound you have under there, and that bandage has been on for over two months now-"

"If it was worth your concern, I woulda told ya," Natsu insisted, now finding himself having to distract her from _that._ But his attempts failed, as her hand slowly reached over to tug at the wrapping. His hand stopped her wrist halfway there; the grip was sudden and actually quite harsh, and he only knew to loosen up when Lucy looked at him with fretful eyes.

But he still didn't let go.

"I…told you…" Natsu swallowed hard. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, well, with that sort of reaction, my worries are not eased." Lucy adamantly tried getting closer to his arm, but Natsu's grip may as well have been iron, as he refused to budge. "C'mon, if it's something serious Wendy can-"

"I said no."

"What, are you embarrassed about what it looks like? If it's a scar or something I won't-"

"_NO_."

His jaw was clenched, his hand tightened around her thin wrist again, and Lucy thought she was going to combust with that stare he was giving off. She finally relented because she was frankly scared, but after seeing the fear on her face, Natsu's intensity melted away on the spot and he scrambled off of her. Able to sit up, Lucy shuddered as she glanced at Natsu, but there wasn't a trace of malice anywhere on him- he was biting his lip and slightly trembling too.

"Please don't worry so much, Luce," he begged, suddenly pulling her towards him with a much less forceful grip. This time, it was a little more comfort-seeking. "I thought you'd be a little more on board with the plan…I thought you trusted me…"

"I…well, I'm just scared I'll needlessly lose more people, whether by marching straight into certain doom or by being kept in the dark," she murmured quietly, cheeks flushed by his closeness and the warmth he was giving off. "I can't even handle the thought…"

"…you don't nearly give yourself enough credit." Natsu pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. Her heart started jumping, and he could hear it. "You're a lot stronger than you think and you don't even realize it…"

Before Lucy could release her breathless response, Natsu had heard his name being called, and he instantly snapped towards the sound. When he realized someone was coming at them, he hastily rose off the ground and went on the alert, finding Levy and Gajeel looking dead serious. Immediately Natsu's expression was set to match, and Lucy changed back into her regular clothes, wondering what had brought on such grim appearances.

The day had come when the council duo had finally found a solid and definite lead on where Zeref was- and that was thanks to the tall man with the unique scar on his face walking up behind them, with Wendy inexplicably glued to his side. Lucy gasped as Natsu raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side.

"D…Doranbolt…?"

Doranbolt's eyes had shimmered when they fell upon Natsu and Lucy, giving them a heartfelt nod as he smiled.

"It's so good to see you all again."

. . .

Things happened rather successively after that, but as hyped as he was, Natsu did his best to keep everything straight (with a lot of help from Erza, Jellal, Levy, and Freed). It was quickly revealed that Doranbolt had always been a member of Fairy Tail, as evidenced by the authentic mark he still wore proudly on his shoulder, and he was hastily disheartened when he learned about what happened to Makarov. Still, he had steeled himself, and explained that he'd been tracking Zeref's movements since Fairy Tail's disbandment…but being well aware of the fact confronting Zeref on his own was suicide.

"I didn't even know the Magic Council was back up and running, with…me being the last member and all…" Doranbolt admitted, turning to Gajeel and Levy, who were wearing their council cloaks with pride. "I just so happened to be in one of the areas you sent Jet to investigate, and I was just…I can't believe…Fairy Tail is _back_…"

"I can't believe you've always been a member of Fairy Tail!" Wendy gushed, clutching Doranbolt's side and getting him to smile warmly. "You really had wiped your own memory…?"

Doranbolt nodded. "Yes. I was willing to go to any extreme for Fairy Tail…and I knew how much Master Makarov wished to rid this world of Zeref. Thus I kept my eyes and ears open…waiting for a day like this."

"Well I'm happy to hear that."

The crowd parted as Natsu cut his way through, a toothy grin on his face as he marched up to Doranbolt. The man recoiled a bit –Natsu had a rather intimidating air about him- but he simply puffed out his coat and valiantly folded his arms. Being master certainly had it perks.

"What do you mean…?" Doranbolt asked cautiously, and Natsu's fangs seemed to grow more prominent as he answered.

"Because, with your arrival, we now have the final piece of the plan…!" He whirled about to face the crowd, once again throwing his arm into the air. "…we can finally go after Zeref! We're all beefed up, we've got our location…all we have to do is march up to his front door, break it down, and kick some ass!"

Everyone really should have expected such a reckless plan when Natsu was the leader, but after Erza demanded that they take _som_e time ensure that the probability of anything going wrong was at its lowest, everyone began to see that striking as soon as possible was indeed their best course of action. Doranbolt further elaborated that Zeref had been training himself over the course of the year, warning the group that he had gotten stronger as well, but Natsu kept everyone's flames of confidence high, constantly reminding them why they were going after Zeref in the first place.

And two weeks later, once they were all prepared as they could possibly be, Doranbolt had used his Advanced Teleportation Magic to warp them all to Zeref's hideout.

It was a little island off the coast of Fiore that was almost undetectable because of its rather underwhelming size, but Doranbolt had been able to trace strong energy signals constantly coming and going from the area, and one day decided to check it out. He explained that the entire island was completely _dead_\- no plants, no animals, and even the sky directly above it seemed incredibly dark and vapid, letting in little light. It was the perfect place for Zeref to reside, given that he'd be unable to kill anything more than what he wanted while he was there…

He called the island the Devil's Cradle, for that was where all of Zeref's demons had been born.

"Tch, for a hermit living alone on a dead island, he's sure got some fancy digs," Gajeel grunted upon arrival, and everyone got an eyeful of the rather extensive castle in the distance.

"It's certainly a lot of room for just one person," remarked Lily with a headshake.

"I don't care if he's got seven mansions- I'll burn 'em all down!" roared Natsu, and that blatant disregard for anything disturbing about the otherwise spacious place had stirred the crowd back into action. Rallied cries to obliterate the one true evil filled the air like the wind itself, and Natsu led them across the deadened island straight up to Zeref's front door, more than ready to take on whatever was within.

"Fairy Tail has come calling!" Natsu bellowed at the top of his lungs, kicking in the double doors so hard that they snapped right off their hinges, and making a hell of a racket if there ever was one. The clattering of the doors to the floor echoed through the huge dark rooms and sweeping corridors of the castle, almost like no one was home. But Fairy Tail wasn't about to believe that for a second, everyone readying their own personal magic at their fingertips and preparing for everything and anything.

Natsu's eyes scanned everything in sight, waiting for the slightest movement to tip him off that he and his guild weren't alone in this arduous palace.

"Tch, some plan Salamander. That weirdo crybaby probably managed to learn we were coming somehow," Gajeel snorted from the front lines. "Got us all pumped up for nuthin'."

"Don't say that," Doranbolt hissed, although his Teleportation Magic was currently on standby. "Zeref's only ever left this island a few times…and he only ever goes to Tenrou. I'm not sure what his connection is with that place, but for as long as I've been tracking him, he doesn't go anywhere else."

The silence filling the castle was echoic, if that was possible. Every small sound, scuffle, or shift anyone made would reverberate throughout the large and empty halls, only serving to further prove that their designated target just wasn't home. Of course, the group grew restless at this, unsure of what to do now, but Natsu especially was getting riled up. An unseen fury seemed to sweep over him, veins popping out his forehead and his eyes darkening distastefully.

"Okay, that bastard can show up whenever he wants to screw with _our_ lives, but the one time we try to turn the tables he's got the nerve to not even be present…!"

He ranted and raved like that for a while, even darting through the halls and demanding for Zeref like a madman, but eventually Lucy had intercepted his wild romping. She latched onto his bandaged wrist, and he immediately froze. In an instant, his head had snapped over his shoulder, glaring at her fiercely with pupils that were nothing more than pinpricks. She gulped, but calmly stated her piece.

"M-Maybe we should turn back, Natsu," Lucy intervened slowly, giving his wrist a light squeeze to not provoke him into more anger. He only tensed. "What if this is some divine sign that we're still not ready yet? What if it's too soon to face him?"

"…too soon? _Too soon_?" Natsu's voice unexpectedly rose, taking on a sharp tone that made even Laxus quirk an eyebrow in concern. "Tell me how it's possibly _too soon_ to take out the most evil guy on the planet?!"

Lucy recoiled instantly, but she refused to let go of him. Natsu wasn't even looking at her anymore- he was checking her hand with dangerous attentiveness just in case it got too close to his bandage.

"Natsu…I keep trying to remind you how absolutely dangerous this all is. The fact that Zeref isn't here should be a huge red flag to get out of here with our lives while we can!"

"I'm…starting to agree with Lucy," piped up Levy nervously. "Zeref does need to be taken care of as soon as physically possible…but what if we're jumping the gun here?"

Of course, Jet and Droy immediately jumped on board with Levy, and the rising voices against Natsu's plan started to grow exponentially. The weight of all the opposing points of view were starting to bring him down, and his rage toward Zeref melted into aching disappointment along the way.

"You guys…do you really want all that training we did to ultimately be for nothing?"

"Of course it won't be for nothing," Lucy insisted warmly, yet the smile she wore seemed to be remarkably contradictory. "We'll get our chance to take down Zeref- it's just, maybe not today…"

"N-no, you don't understand…" Natsu murmured, trying to pull out of Lucy's grip. She only insisted on refusing to let him go, and while he could have easily chucked her into Zeref's fine furniture, he refused to do so, but that left him struggling like a chained animal. "If we don't get rid of Zeref, he's only going to keep making things worse…!"

"I know, but that's just not something we can do right away-"

"Then let go; I'll go find him myself if you all want to back out," Natsu deadpanned, again roughly tugging his arm back. Lucy refused to let go, and ended up being pulled forward by his strength. The two were practically eye to eye now, Natsu leering down at Lucy and Lucy refusing to give up here.

"Natsu, what's wrong? There's something you're not telling me- there's something you're not telling us." She gestured to the worried crowd behind her for emphasis. "We all only want to help, but you have to let us."

"I don't need help- I need you to trust in me!" Natsu wailed. "If I'm keeping quiet about something, then don't you think I've got a pretty good reason?"

"But it's just a bandage!" Lucy squalled. "I don't understand what could possibly be so bad that you have to consistently keep it wrapped up!"

"Uh, guys? I thought we were here for Zeref, not to discuss Natsu's fashion sense…" Wendy trailed unsurely, but her meek words did little to cut through the tension. Natsu snarled and got up in Lucy's face; Lucy pulled her expression into a stern, inexorable pout.

"Please, I'm_ begging_ you." Natsu was still incredibly ticked, but his tone had gained a pleading tone that showed he really didn't want to fight about this. "I'm just trying to protect you-"

"W-Well, I'm sick of your idea of protecting!" Lucy snapped, and Natsu felt a chill run down his spine. "If your idea of protecting me is keeping secrets and leaving me alone for a year, then I don't want it! I want to be let_ in_, Natsu- I want to be_ alongside_ you, not behind you as you act as a wall! I don't want you guarding me from future problems; I want to help carry the burden of the ones you have now…"

"Lucy…" Natsu's voice cracked, and he was so caught off guard by her heartfelt words that he didn't immediately notice Lucy's hand slipping up along his bandage. It was until he felt the subtle tug did his stomach do a somersault. "Hey, HEY! LUCY, _STOP_-!"

A chord of silence rippled through the crowd when Lucy's hand fell to her side, although she had hitched a gasp before freezing in place, just like the rest of the crowd. The only one that wasn't stuck in a suspended state of revelation was Happy, but even the normally cheerful blue cat appeared incredibly nauseous. Similar looks of shock, confusion, and mortification crossed the faces of the crowd, but Natsu's chest locked when he came to Lucy.

The bandage was hanging limply in her tightly clenched hand, while her eyes were trembling at the sight of the surreal markings that had made itself at home on Natsu's arm. He already knew what question would be coming next.

"They…they appeared not too long before I crashed the Grand Magic Games…" Natsu whispered, the sound coming out arid and unconfident, but the words had been the truth. "I pulled off a really strong move, and then this appeared on my arm…"

He tried to lighten the mood with his smile and a laugh, but it went unacknowledged.

"Y-You should've seen it; it was really cool! It was fire like nothing I'd ever seen, and it was everywhere, and…and…"

Natsu was growing increasingly uncomfortable by the refused reactions, but no one knew what to say to the grotesque black flames that snaked up and down Natsu's forearm, and if one looked at from a certain angle, it was almost like the flames were about to swallow his crimson Fairy Tail mark.

"Why did…" Lucy stammered, unsettled by the deathly implications the markings seem to give off. "Why did you...?"

"I only hid them because I didn't want anyone to freak out, or ask questions." He lifted the arm with the flames, but everyone took a step back like they were suddenly staring a deformed freak. And yeah, that had been a bit of a stab to the heart, especially with the way Lucy was looking like she couldn't trust him anymore. "I don't know anything about them myself, really! I dunno why they're here, and how could I answer your questions about them when I don't even know what they mean-!"

"I'll tell you what they mean."

For the very first time, Natsu's blood ran _cold_, as the heavy implication behind the spoken words were enough to show that their owner was absolutely dead serious. The whole castle seemed to drop in temperature as Zeref stepped into the room from nothing at all, a lithe finger trimming around the edge of the book in his hand.

The Book of E.N.D.

"They mean…that E.N.D. is finally strong enough to kill me. And my son…he's finally come home. He's grown so much…"

Zeref's eyes went red as he smirked like a snake, taking a bit of sadistic joy in seeing the way Natsu's face had blanched while everyone else was distracted by the flaming black motif corrupting his arm…the very symbol Zeref had been waiting centuries to see.

"_Finally_."


	8. Bleeding Out

**...I thought I was all cool for coming up with the idea that E.N.D. would wield blue flames instead of orange, but turns out I was beaten to the punch by a couple people. Darnavit. xD **

**(But wouldn't that be the coolest thing regardless?) **

* * *

Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

_~Prompt 4, Part 2: Bleeding Out~_  
.:The Time the World Stood Still:.

Once upon a time, Natsu assumed that words could be empty and talk so often could be cheap…people could say anything they wanted to, but it was actions that spoke the loudest. Actions were a demonstration of the things words could never hope to properly show.

But sometimes, words could not only get under our skin…they could cut straight through our very souls.

In Natsu's case, this feeling was akin to being stabbed- the words would only hurt him if he recognized their truth…and in the center of that dark palace atrium, surrounded by many people he loved, Natsu was trying his best to deny the nasty claims a few sentences from Zeref had thrust upon him.

"I told you that there are things in this world you cannot oppose, no matter how hard you try…" Zeref almost sounded bored, glancing down at the wretched book in his hand and carefully tracing the cover. "…even if you yourself were entirely unaware of such implications."

Natsu's mental state was beyond vocal description at this point. His thoughts were racing far too fast as those subtle implications Zeref had been making toward him were finally starting to piece themselves together. It was hitting him like a ton of bricks and still going, and he felt like slumping to the ground and retching, quite frankly.

Because what else were you supposed to do when you were told that you were actually a world-ending demon?

"N-Natsu…? No, he can't be…!" Lucy pleaded weakly, embracing denial like a lifeline. Zeref's dull gaze rolled up to meet hers as his tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth.

"I only speak the truth; Natsu Dragneel is my greatest creation, the strongest and final book I've ever written…and he is the only one left who can kill me."

"That…that's bullshit!" Natsu bellowed, sending a shot of fire Zeref's way. Zeref merely stood there and let the flames roll harmless off his –nearly- immortal form. "If I was your crazy souped-up demon, don't you think I'd_ know_ that?!"

He was seething through his teeth, panting angrily and eyes looking murderous. He tried to keep his gaze strained on Zeref, but he could see the blasted black markings on his arm out of the corner of his eye, and so far there was only one definition as to why they were there to begin with…

He was E.N.D.

"I can explain everything if you so desire- it's the least I could do since Igneel stripped you of all knowledge of who you really are…" Zeref offered, but that only served to enrage Natsu even more.

"Don't you _dare_ bring Igneel into this…! He didn't do anything other than raise me as his own!" Natsu swatted a fist at Zeref, but Zeref dodged to the left and used Natsu's momentum against him, bringing his leg around and kicking him in the back. Natsu snarled when he hit the ground, crouching on all fours and hissing at the Black Wizard. "…and even if what you're spouting is somehow true, Igneel would have been a hell of a better father than YOU!"

Fruitless attack was followed after fruitless attack, Natsu failing to land a concrete hit on Zeref. Others of course had tried to join in to help, but as Lucy had feared, all it took was one swipe of Zeref's arm to have death magic thrown at all of them, and suddenly no one but Natsu was keen on getting any closer than they already were. Zeref smirked bemusedly, turning back to an increasingly pissed off Natsu.

"I'd tell your friends not to get any closer to me- I'm at full power now, and I can kill anyone when and how I please," Zeref murmured lowly, the red returning to his eyes. "Don't believe me? Let's see…"

There wasn't the slightest sign of hesitance within Zeref as he whipped his head to face the group, raising one hand to coldly snuff out the life of anyone on the spot. Natsu immediately panicked as everyone hurriedly tried to scatter out of range. Natsu went to jump on Zeref to throw off the trajectory, but it was already too late-

The Oracion Seis had spontaneously thrown themselves to the front, acting as an effective wall and taking the death attack for Fairy Tail.

Jellal pulled Meredy into his arms as she let out the loudest scream out of everyone. Cobra, Midnight, Hoteye, Angel, and Racer were stuck where they stood, wisps of black magic sapping away at their entire existence. Midnight murmured something about doing 'one good thing' in their lives, Angel was proud to finally join her namesake, Hoteye was happy to prolong the lives of those he called his friends, and Cobra managed to throw one last smirk over at Natsu, telling the fellow Dragon Slayer to not let the sacrifice be in vain.

Next thing anyone knew, the five of them had faded into dust and drifted away, quenched of their lives as if they'd never even been there, and there was nothing left over for anyone to mourn.

It was almost too quick, and it was remarkably undignifying…but they were simply _gone_ just like that, as Zeref intended. Zeref only stood there silently, admiring his work, but unlike before, he wasn't lamenting over the death his hands had wrought. No, this time…he seemed to utterly relish in it. And that was when it was made clear the Black Wizard was certainly not playing around anymore. Those that remained were either struck with horror or frightened to tears, but Natsu was straight up ticked beyond belief.

"How could you just do that?! Those are LIVES you've just squandered without any point at all…!" he roared, fire tracing the edges of the room as veins popped out his neck. "No one deserves to go out that way, even if they did do bad things in the past!"

"I have shed my understanding for the sanctity of life…and no longer does the curse that plagues me have any hold over what I do."

"Then what do you still want to die for?!" Natsu demanded, swinging himself into the air and landing on Zeref, pushing the black wizard to the ground. He whacked Zeref across the face several times, but somehow his pale expression remained unscathed.

"Because the world rejects me, and I reject the world." Zeref grabbed Natsu by his scarf and threw him off, rising slowly back to his feet. "I'll tell you what I told Mavis…I've lived for many centuries and watched the rise and fall of different ages. People hate and evil causes conflict, and mistakes are repeated in an infinite loop…but I'm looking forward to a new age that will purify all of this…"

His sharp gaze narrowed in on Natsu.

"…an age that E.N.D., Etherious Natsu Dragneel, will bring no matter what."

Zeref picked up the book that he'd dropped after Natsu pounced on him, cradling it like he would a delicate child. Natsu gave him the most disgusted look he could manage while Zeref popped open the cover with a flick of his finger, causing a pulse of power to emerge from the pages. Natsu had moved to tear the book away from him, but he suddenly stopped, a horrible pounding sensation appearing in the back of his head and making him crash to the ground.

"Nrgh, what…what are you doing?!" he demanded raucously, suddenly writhing on the ground. Zeref turned another page, earning another howl of agony from Natsu, which made Lucy snap and run over to him. She only got halfway there when Natsu's screams ripped out of his throat, barely mustering the strength to hold his marked arm out.

"St-stay away…" he told her, suddenly not feeling like himself. Lucy froze, but quietly acquiesced, allowing trust to come before judgment this time. Natsu's steely gaze then faced Zeref, who was turning through the pages agonizingly slowly with no remorse.

"These pages tell the tale of your life story, my son…" the wizard rumbled softy, running a finger down the current page. "They tell of your power, your capabilities, your strengths, weakness, indomitable resolve, your task to kill me…and your penchant for endless, uncontrollable destruction…"

Natsu's eyes widened through the pain, and Zeref tsked at him.

"Oh, don't look so surprised! Wasn't it obvious?" He paced around the helpless Natsu; Natsu swung his arm to try and trip him, but Zeref merely hopped over it and flipped another page, sending more power into Natsu. "Even I in all my seclusion have heard the stories…of how Natsu _Dragneel_ can get so ridiculously carried away in everything he does, and things are recklessly destroyed in the process…did you really just think that was some personality quirk?"

He kneeled down and got into Natsu's face; Natsu breathed an angry spout of fire at him, but it had no effect.

"No, I_ made _you that way…so that even after you kill me, this world will _end _in fire, and a new age can finally start! An age that is truly purified of all the evil and hateful things humans have done to this world…because there will be nothing left to walk through the ruination. There will be nothing left to hate life…since all life itself will be extinguished."

"I would never-!" Natsu tried to say, but Zeref whipped through ten pages at once and promptly shut him up again. The crowd watching was stuck in a perpetual and unfortunate stalemate, but Natsu continued to insist that they keep away for their own good.

"So tell me, is it really _you_, Natsu, who has arrived before me?" Zeref asked, his tone alone giving Natsu goosebumps. "...or could it be E.N.D.? Who will get to feel the deepest hopelessness I have prepared…?"

"The only one who will be feeling deep hopelessness will be you, pal…!"

Zeref reached the end of the book, the final page pinched precariously between his thumb and index finger. It was then that Natsu was legitimately afraid of what would happen next, especially with the cold look Zeref was now giving him.

"Life or death, Etherious Natsu Dragneel…now is your time to decide." His grip on the book became taut. "I told you this once before…it's all up to you whether E.N.D. lives or dies…it's up to you whether _you_ live or die."

Natsu tensed on the ground, his hand curling into a furious fist against the floor.

"…I'm not dying until after I know _you're_ dead."

An obscure and twisted simper crossed Zeref's face as he tossed the book into the air, just as it started to glow with dark power.

"Precisely what I wanted to hear."

The book vanished from sight, dissolving into nothing but energy as it poured straight into Natsu, making him sit on his knees and arc his back, throwing his head backwards and releasing an inhumane cry. Lucy's hands covered her face as Natsu's scream pierced everyone's ears, amplified by the spaciousness of the large room. Hands flew to everyone's ears as they desperately tried to drown out the excruciating sound, but to their unfortunate relief Natsu's cries were cut off in a sharp choke as Zeref removed the final seal of the book, and his body contorted grotesquely like someone was about to snap him in two. A final guttural roar built up within him, emitting a pained shout that wracked at the ears of everyone once again.

"You have only one purpose," Zeref remarked evenly as he dramatically spread out his arms, welcoming this new version of Natsu into the world. "…and that is to do away with me, in order to bring about a new age on this planet. An age where hate and war and fighting and murder will never happen again…! Isn't that what everyone wants?"

…but when the dust cleared, there was no ludicrous demon standing where the pink-haired man was. There was no ghoulish-looking thing that could burn a soul from the inside out.

No, the thing was definitely still Natsu…but the one aspect that _had_ changed was the killer look in his eyes.

It was hardened and unforgiving, and not a trace of mercy could be found anywhere. He shakily rose back to his feet, eyes widened like he had been thoroughly enlightened, and even in the dark of the room it was impossible to not see the power that currently coursed through his veins. Physically he appeared the same, but the aura radiating off of him was something new entirely, and it was enough to keep anyone from trying to approach. But still he turned to face the group, a hand on his head and another on his heart, clutching desperately at both…as he looked legitimately scared.

"I…I remember everything…" he quivered, taking a staggering step forward. He was absolutely horrified by whatever knowledge he now possessed, evident with the single tear that rolled down his cheek. "I…I…you…"

His gaze was directed at the collective group, but it fell directly onto Lucy. The hand on his heart clenched tighter.

"…you have to kill me. You have to kill me!"

"No one can kill you," Zeref said softly, shaking his head as Lucy looked on in dismay. "I mean…after all…not even Igneel could do that!"

"Igneel…" Natsu whimpered like a kicked puppy, casting his eyes down now that he knew the truth. He knew that centuries ago he had been created to take down Zeref, and that afterward his desire for destruction would lead him to bring ruin the world…he created the Tartarus guild under the name of Zeref, hoping to lead his fellow demons into the new world- the new world without magic, and a place where only Curses would thrive. Curses…which were something he had created himself. It was his failsafe.

But even after the end, he knew his insatiable thirst for destruction would lead him to slay Zeref's other creations, and quite possibly himself afterwards. If anything, he wanted to kill Zeref for making him like this- for making him so desperate for desolation that he'd even bring about his own demise! But before he had a chance to get at the black wizard and strip him of his immortality, Igneel happened…and they had fought fiercely. The dragon was a fine opponent indeed, but while there was no clear winner, Igneel had managed to split him from his Etherious form and left his body to restore itself for centuries upon centuries…

And E.N.D. had left Igneel decorated with the many deep scars and markings he carried well into the future.

"So now you finally understand…" Zeref whispered, still holding his arms out as if patiently waiting to embrace death. "Igneel was the one who prevented you from killing me the first time, because he knew that if you did, your destructive rage would have been unleashed upon the world…"

"And that's why I've got to die!" Natsu screamed, turning back to Fairy Tail. "If I kill Zeref, I'll…I'll end up destroying everything along with him…including all of you…"

Worried gasps danced through the crowd, but Lucy and Happy had moved forward, both of them furiously shaking their heads.

"I…I refuse to believe that!" Happy shouted as Lucy clasped her hands in front of her. "Natsu, you value your friends and life itself more than anyone else …!"

Lucy nodded firmly in agreement. "Demon or not, those bonds alone would give you the strength to stop yourself from doing something so horrible!"

Natsu gained an inexplicably sick expression as Zeref actually laughed afterward- some deranged cackle that ripped through the air as his hands fisted his dark locks of hair, a mix of insanity and true enjoyment.

"Ah, isn't that the rub…! You yourself knew that when you created Curses, didn't you?" Zeref spat acidly at Natsu, who had gone utterly silent as he shook in place. "Inspired by my own contradictory curse, you created a similar one, but with far better effects, for yourself…!"

"What…what are you talking about?!" demanded Erza, summoning a sword just for the extra security. Zeref appeared far too overjoyed at the prospect of having to explain, especially with the way Natsu seemed to be withering away from the implications.

"The ancient _magic _they call the 'Flames of Emotion'? ...that's actually Natsu's demon curse. Unlike my other demons who feed off the hate and suffering of humanity, or myself who brings death the more he lives..._he_ gave _himself_ the curse of drawing energy from positive emotions. The stronger the bonds he has with people, the more strength he gains! The more he feels, the more he destroys…!"

"NO! No…!" wailed Wendy, suddenly falling away from Carla and Doranbolt and crashing to the ground. "I-If that's true, then that means…this whole time…with all of us…!"

"Natsu…?" Lucy whispered, now hugging Happy as she turned to the pink-haired demon dry heaving on the ground not too far away. She couldn't tell if it was the realization was making him so torn, or if it was the fact he himself knew what he had done and was thoroughly revolted with himself. Regardless, Natsu was clearly not fine with any of this.

"Why do you think he shouts about the strength of nakama more than anyone else? Why else does he get stronger when consumed with self-righteous anger or when his precious friends are in danger? Why do you think he wanted to get Fairy Tail back together so badly?!" Zeref practically _sang, _basking shamelessly in the bitter irony of it all. "His friends drive him more than anything...they are his greatest source of power…it's just a shame they have to die in the process."

Zeref was looking far more demonic than Natsu was, a dark shadow casting over his crazed eyes.

"Ha ha…ha ha ha…I bet that's why your master was hesitant about bringing Natsu to Fairy Tail in the first place. He could sense the deeper power slumbering within…and he knew that being in Fairy Tail, while staving off Natsu's subconscious desire for destruction, would also only make him increasingly harder to defeat…"

"It's…certainly…possible…" Mirajane suddenly stammered, eyes growing wide as Lisanna was crying silently next to her. "Master knew about the Flames of Emotion…and he knew precisely how they worked…!"

"But how could _you_ possibly know all that…?" Levy whimpered to the Black Wizard, being supported by Jet and Droy while Gajeel stood tall behind her. The smile finally faded from Zeref as he suddenly came down from his delirious high.

"…let's just say that your master stopped by to have a little chat with me at once point. He wasn't quite as lively when he left, however."

A twisted smirk grew on the Black Wizard's face as the eyes of everyone in the room grew. Natsu looked about ready to throw up as Erza spoke the words no one else dared.

"Y-You're the one that killed him...you killed Master Makarov!"

"But for the time being, let's remember that_ I'm_ not the one you need to get mad at." The ferocity in Zeref's tone returned as he gestured over to Natsu. "He's the one that's been unknowingly using you all this time. He did it to himself…he knew that positive emotions would yield a far more reliable result than feeding off the hatred humans create…after all, that's precisely what makes E.N.D. my strongest demon."

Quiet realization filled the room after that, pure horror hanging over everyone's head. All that time that Natsu was acting as their hero…at the same time, he had been using them, even if it was unknowingly.

"….If you're trying to say that my genuine love for everyone means nothing because of some curse, then you've got another thing coming."

Zeref blinked as he turned towards Natsu, who was rising back to his feet and sneering at Zeref with the utmost contempt. His hands clenched until his veins popped and fire sprang forth, now marching towards the Black Wizard with unwavering resolve. Zeref didn't even budge, as this was precisely the result he had been hoping to achieve.

"You don't have any respect for human life...so there's no way in hell I'm gonna let a guy like you live forever!"

"I know you won't…but you have to activate your Etherious form if you want to accomplish that," Zeref reminded him, once again evading Natsu's anger-fueled attacks all too easily. "The only way you'll have the power to kill me is if you unveil your true form…!"

"NEVER!" Natsu howled, swinging his fist around and punching Zeref straight in the chest. The Black Wizard spiraled backwards in the air, but still managed to land gently on his feet afterwards. "I'll never do anything that'll result in me hurting my friends! I won't do it!"

Another vengeance-driven punch sailed through the air, but again Zeref twirled around it, even using a black wave of magic to slam Natsu into the nearest wall. A few of the others had enough and started to run in to join, but Natsu put a flaming wall around him and Zeref, keeping everyone else at bay.

"…I'm sorry, everyone. But this is something I need to do alone."

"You say that, but their concern for you only drives your power up the wall," Zeref observed, taking another blow to the shoulder but merely dancing it off. "I can read how much everyone over there matters to you, especially the redhead, the little girl, that blue cat…ooh, and _especially_ the blonde one."

"Leave them all out of this!" Natsu howled, grabbing his opponent's arm and throwing Zeref over his head. "This is just you and me, as it was always destined to be!"

"You'll wear yourself out like this," Zeref pointed out bluntly, still swiftly evading or ignoring Natsu's attacks. "I have no need for your friends –their fates are sealed- but if you continue to deny who you really are, then you'll end up having to force my hand-"

"SHUT UP!"

Natsu flew at him completely aflame, ramming into Zeref's torso and sending him flying backwards. Zeref once more skid to his feet and retaliated forcefully with a black beam of death, but Natsu was immune to the magic, although his scarf didn't absorb it this time. Zeref's eyes turned red as he raised his arms over his head, practically drawing from the shadows draped all over the room, then directed them at Natsu, swallowing him whole into the darkness.

"This battle is pointless…!" Natsu could hear Zeref's voice wail on the outside of the dark dome. "I lack the capability to kill you, and you refuse to unlock the strength needed to take me down! This could go on forever!"

"I…I…I…"

Natsu was panting heavily to himself as the sphere of shadows danced all around him. Zeref was right- this was one battle he wasn't going to be able to win, and with how things were right then, the only ones that would get hurt were the friends he'd so foolishly brought along. Natsu fell to his knees as thoughts of all of them ran through his head- he had rallied them into going on this death mission, and now he understood why he had been so eager to do so. It was his purpose to end Zeref, and it was the best way to get rid of the negative feelings afflicting him. But it was bothering him how right Zeref was- getting Fairy Tail back together would make Natsu stronger, and negative emotions were his weakness- he would have entirely lost himself many times if his friends hadn't been there for him…

"Graaaaah, damn you, Zeref!" Natsu roared, a pillar of fire rising straight out of the dome of shadow and bursting through the ceiling. "You claim the world is full of malevolent humans, but the only hateful, spiteful person I see in this room is YOU!"

He tore through the dome of shadow, flying through the air and pinning Zeref to the nearest wall, unsure of what he was supposed to do now, but even the idea of having Zeref at his mercy was going to have to do.

"Let me get one thing straight for ya- I'm not your damned tool! I'm Natsu Dragneel, Son of Igneel, not your horrible little demon abomination!" he snarled. "That may have been the case in the past, but Igneel splitting me from my Etherious form was the best thing to ever happen."

Natsu gripped Zeref by the front of his robe and thrust him harshly into the wall, making his head thwack against the brick.

"He took away my horrible past and gave me the chance to live a new life, especially when I didn't deserve it after all I'd done to him…he made me believe in myself when I felt so purposeless, and he gave me the strength to fight for others' sakes…!"

Zeref had on a blank look as Natsu lit himself up in flames, pure rage etched across his face.

"I am a Fairy Tail wizard, and all my feelings toward my friends have been real…! So if you think for even a second that I'm going to give all of that up just to cleanse the world of filth like you…you've never been more _wrong_, buddy."

Zeref could hear all of Natsu's little friends whooping and hollering in support of his words, yelling to the heavens that Natsu would never ever betray his friends. The Black Wizard looked on contemptuously as those supportive feelings only served to make the flames around Natsu burn brighter. Natsu apparently didn't like the way Zeref was staring and ended up shoving him against the wall again.

"And if that means I have to not kill you…then so be it. I'll find another way to prevent you from hurting anyone else."

It was at this that a look of concern washed across Zeref's face. "You'd forgo your own life's purpose for the sake of the people you've used for years?!"

"_I _haven't used anybody, and I'm not about to let you tell me what to-!"

Zeref caught Natsu off guard and grabbed him by the scarf once again, pulling the demon close with blood red crimson coloring his irises. The tone Zeref used next was bone chilling.

"Kill me or I'll kill every single person in here before they even have a chance to die."

Natsu's pupils disappeared, his following words coming out as a dare. _"You wouldn't."_

"Doesn't matter if I do or not- you're _going_ to kill me. Whether it is out of spite or out of obligation makes no difference…and if I have to pluck away the lives of your nakama one by one as a little _incentive_, then I will not hesitate. Apparently my demonstration earlier hasn't rattled you enough."

Natsu snarled and slammed his forehead into Zeref's jaw, using enough force to get Zeref to finally back off. Adjusting his scarf, he threw a scornful look in the direction of Zeref.

"How can you speak about death so flippantly…?!"

"Because life has no meaning…!" Zeref hissed, his irises now impossibly vermilion. "Only in death is there purpose…! Life is fleeting, but death is forever…!"

"What kind of talk is this?! What happened to crybaby who tried to eliminate my friends on Tenrou?!"

"That man is dead-" Zeref spun around and shot a random blast of magic into the distance, holding up on his assurance to pick Fairy Tail off one by one if he had to. It pierced through Natsu's makeshift barricade of fire and hit _someone_, because a female's pained cry rang out almost immediately afterward followed by disturbed shrieks. "-and hopefully you'll condemn me to a similar fate."

"No! Nonononono!" Natsu screeched, shoving Zeref to the ground with a rough kick to the head and dispelling his wall of flames on the spot. He then sprinted over to where he had heard the cry. "Who was it?! Who was it!?"

Jellal was on his knees, eyes wide with dismay and his mouth painfully agape…with a writhing Meredy starting to dissipate away in his arms.

"I couldn't protect her either…" he whispered under his breath, stuck staring forward and at nothing in particular. Erza was over there in a flash to wrap her arms around Jellal's back while Meredy, in her last act of consciousness, put a hand to Jellal's cheek and gave him a reassuring smile before she too was stolen away by Zeref's magic power. Erza was streaming tears into Jellal's cloak as Jellal himself looked utterly devastated, and out of the corner of Natsu's eye did he notice Zeref attempting another strike. The demon managed to buy himself some time by blasting Zeref across the room, but he knew it wasn't going to be enough. It just wasn't going to be enough…

"…guys," he said quietly, but loud enough so everyone still heard him. "…There's only one way I can kill him, and if I don't do it, he's going to take all of your lives…"

"Then whatever it is, do it already!" demanded Laxus. "Quit wasting time toying with him!"

"Man up and do it, Natsu!" added Elfman, which only made Natsu wince.

"…but if I do, _I'll_ be the one going after you guys." His whole body bristled. "And I don't know if I'll be able to control myself."

"Natsu, I'm sure you can-"

"No, Happy." Natsu cut off his Exceed before he could finish. "If I activate my Etherious form, it will be nothing like anything you've ever seen before. It's going to be horrifying, and all that power in me…that lust for mindless destruction…it's practically in my DNA. I _know_ I won't be able to hold back…"

His eyes were fierce as he addressed everyone at once, lifting his hand up and shooting another stray fireball at Zeref to keep him occupied.

"That's why, once I kill Zeref…I need to know that you guys will kill me afterwards."

"Natsu, no-!" Lucy screeched, running at him to stop him from making a stupid mistake. He grabbed both her wrists before she could touch him and pulled her close, his gaze smoldering as he looked her straight in the eye.

"Lucy, I can't do this in my remaining good conscience without knowing that…if I get carried away…you'll stop me." A dry smile grew on his face. "Not that I never get carried away anyway, but-"

"Natsu, now's not the time for jokes! Do you _hear _yourself?!" Lucy demanded, tears welling at her eyes. "You're asking us…you're asking me to_ kill_ you…"

"Better me the _vile demon_ than the rest of you!" Natsu yelled, fire in his eyes as Lucy went rigid in his grip. "…if I had remembered what I was from the very beginning, then I doubt I would have grown so attached to all of you, but hey, what happened happened, and maybe…if I had to change one thing…"

His hands moved from Lucy's wrists up to her palms, lacing her fingers with his as a regretful smile spread across his face.

"…well, it wouldn't be _one_ thing, but I'd definitely make it so none of_ this_ crap happened, and more importantly, that I never had the stupid idea to leave you when you needed me."

"Natsu…" moaned Happy desolately, hovering over Lucy as she started to heavily sob. Natsu sucked in a sharp intake of air, then placed his hand softly against her cheek and flicked some of her tears away with his thumb.

"Now Lucy, let me have the honor of protecting you one last time…let me save my family one last time…by promising me that you'll save me from myself afterwards. It's nothing more than that, okay?"

"I…I…I…" Lucy hiccupped as she shook violently in his hold. "…I promise…"

Natsu nodded, appearing genuinely happy after hearing that assurance. "Thanks a million, Lucy. And I just wanted to let you know…my best adventures were the ones I've had with you."

Whatever she had planned to say next was spontaneously cut off when she suddenly found Natsu's lips pushed up against her own, eyes going wide in unexpected surprise. But once she realized what was happening, the tears flooded down her cheeks once again as she returned the advance. The rather impulsive kiss was incredibly warm and passionate for the exceedingly brief amount of time it lasted, but in that short amount of time just the same, Natsu had gotten the message through how much he cared for her. No words were needed.

"…figured I'd better do that 'fore it was too late," he murmured shyly afterwards, leaving her breathless and parting with a wink. He then glanced up at Happy and gave him a firm look. "You take care of her, all right buddy?"

"A-aye, sir…!" Happy promised miserably, waterfalls of tears streaming down his face as he gave Natsu a salute. Natsu returned the salute, then made the guild's universal gesture over his shoulder at everyone else. Various send-offs, good-byes, and promises followed afterwards as Natsu ran across the room, ready to destroy Zeref once and for all. The Black Wizard seemed to notice the newfound spark of determination in his eyes and smirked knowing what was coming next.

"_Lucy, Happy, everyone…even Gray…"_ Natsu thought to himself as he spread his arms out and his eyes fell closed. _"…forgive me for whatever I might do."_

"NATSUUUUUU!"

The pink-haired demon halted where he stood as the most inhumane roar ever heard from him shred his vocal chords, a far more earth-shattering cry than any he'd released before. Zeref stared with a wistful glee on his face as a small circle of flames encompassed his greatest creation, growing taller and more imposing the longer he yelled. The tattoo on his wrist slithered even higher up his arm, accompanied by other black markings all across his body. They covered him like a patchy second skin, ending just under his fully white eyes. His eyes did not turn black with a blood red pinprick pupil in the middle as some expected- no, they were a solid ivory, soulless and entirely demonic.

He grinned slickly as he dusted himself off, partially on fire, although there were two long strands of flames emerging out of his head, almost like twin fiery horns. All of his teeth became jagged and sharp, as evidenced by when he ran his long tongue across them to test it out. His fangs were put on display when he simpered, spontaneously stepping forward through the circle of flames in an outfit that suspiciously resembled his Tartarus clothes…

The only difference being that his right sleeve was gone, showcasing the Tartarus guild mark where his Fairy Tail one used to be. A guildmaster's mark at that.

Ah yes,_ there_ was the demon.

"_Damn_," murmured E.N.D., tilting his head and promptly cracking his neck. He then suddenly choked, and realizing the source was from the scarf around his neck, he promptly tore it off and discarded it on the palace floor. "It's been ages since I felt this way…my power's finally back in my body where it belongs! No more holding back…haha, I'm finally free…!"

Instantly his head snapped over to Zeref, and the fiery aura around him suddenly turned blue out of intensity alone. His empty eyes narrowed as he sneered and made a show of his serrated teeth.

"…and now, I can finally pick up right where I left off."

Fairy Tail collectively moved closer together as they watched with petrified awe as E.N.D. inhaled and exhaled pure power, clenching and unclenching his clawed hands with every heave of his chest. The aridness of the room skyrocketed, with the air becoming so dry and insipid that it was becoming hard to breathe. Zeref simply spread his arms out in a welcoming fashion, quite literally begging E.N.D. to come at him and properly finish the job. No final words or anything- just ecstatically awaiting death's cold and merciless hold on his soul.

E.N.D. did nothing more than hold out two fingers, launching Zeref backwards in overly daunting blue flames.

The Black Wizard was blasted through the wall of his own castle and straight out into his own desolate backyard, releasing an euphorically distraught scream all the while. A few members of the group were mortified at the soulless display of power, but E.N.D. was undeterred by it, stepped outside through the hole he created to check up on his handiwork.

"…how's it feel?" E.N.D. asked acidly, watching reactionlessly as Zeref burned away in the cerulean fire. "That's what you've done so soullessly to others…and now I'm gonna do the same to you a hundred times over!"

Fairy Tail made their way outside out of pure concern alone, all of them watching as E.N.D. roared at the top of his lungs once again. A huge pillar of blue fire surrounded him without warning, one so large that it shot up straight into the sky and pierced through the dark clouds above, officially marking his return to the world he was about to destroy.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUGHHH!"

No one watching saw exactly _what_ E.N.D. did to Zeref…but when the blue wildfire finally died down, it was quite obvious that Zeref wasn't immortal anymore. Zeref stood there, nearly all of his clothes burned away while his body was black with char. And yet, he was beaming as he finally fell backwards, hitting his head against the rock hard ground and cracking his once-perfect skull.

And even then, Zeref had never been more content in his life.

"These are my final two gifts…world harmony and restoration…" Zeref droned in his dying madness, not minding if his final words didn't reach the ears of those he was speaking to. "There will be no use fighting, as there will be no war…_just a one-sided annihilation_."

And Zeref was left on the ground, lying scorched and slowly bleeding out with a smile.


	9. Gone Forever

**This chapter is longer than I wanted, but since the next one's probably going to be late, I hope that sort of makes up for it. And remember, I'm going for the most realistic worst case scenario here...**

**(Anyway, triggers everywhere! Death galore! Take heed, those who are even the tiniest bit squeamish...! I dunno if I quite made "M" rating or not -strictly for implications and nothing overly descriptive- but it's pretty dark regardless. You have been warned...and I _really_ owe everyone a Six of Hearts update after this one.) **

* * *

Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

_~Prompt 5: Gone Forever~_  
.:The One-Sided Annihilation:.

"_Once E.N.D. destroyed everyone and everything…only then could destruction itself truly end."_

The meaning of Zeref's words carried on the lifeless winds of the Devil's Cradle, and while this should have been a joyous time, for the world had been stripped of first the abomination known as Acnologia, then the monster known as Zeref…

…only for a new, unpitying evil to take their place.

An evil that was untamed like blue wildfire, with a lust for destruction and a drive to see the world burn to ashes. By the will of the master he so easily murdered, he planned to bring about a new age where hatred would be smothered from the world, vices would go extinct, and there would be nothing left to-

There would just be nothing left, simple as that.

Lucy wished she could figure out the logic in the demon's mind- it was so familiar, and in such a way that she could almost comprehend it, but she would never understand why he went so far as to destroy the very people who gave him strength. He had whispered something about how his love for destruction was greater than the love for the many, and thus he indulged in the despair…but nothing compared to his love for her. Those words had been a double-edged sword to the gut and she hadn't felt right ever since…given that what happened next, happened so quickly…

Lucy's mind was in a heavy slog, the whole island slanting in her vision and making her head spin. The air had risen inexplicably in temperature, drying out her mouth and leaving her heaved breaths raspy and desperate. She knew very well just what had happened, as proven by the heavy stench of blood around the area…

But it all happened _so quickly._

Her legs were shaking from a mix of fear and exhaustion, tied in an indecorous way to a rock with her whip. Her stomach churned with nausea, and she did her best to push all her overwhelming thoughts well out of her mind…oh Mavis, why'd she have to be the one he didn't pick off?!

Why'd he make her witness it all?!

Every body that was strewn on the ground told a story, and none of them had a happy ending. Her half-lidded gaze swept over the group, knowing all too well the order of how her family went down, and knowing far too well how each of them succumbed to the demon known as E.N.D.

. . .

"_I can hear you, ya know!" the demon's voice teased them from outside, sounding almost amused. "And you can make as many feeble plans as ya want- this shitty little island is going to be your gravesite!"_

_Erza headed the pack with her Flame Empress armor equipped, guiding them straight out of the palace with a dedicated flourish. The desiccated ground beneath their feet didn't give in the slightest as they marched toward the demon eagerly awaiting their advance, casually standing around with his arms folded behind his head. _

"_I do hope you're aware I can kill you with nothing more than a snap of my fingers," E.N.D. smirked with their approach, appearing far too confident as blue flames billowed around him. "…but where would the fun in that be? You guys are my main sources of strength; it wouldn't do to be so wasteful with your lives…so don't worry. I'll make sure to end you all _spectacularly_. Think of it as a parting gift."_

"_You're not going to do anything of the sort."_

_E.N.D. blinked and turned toward the voice of the naysayer, belonging to Lucy who held a key out in her hand._

"_We promised Natsu that we would rid the world of E.N.D…and after all he's done for us, we're not going to let him down now."_

"_Heh, you act like Natsu's gone or something, but…" E.N.D. chortled, closing the distance between them in four long strides before shrugging his arms. "…I'm standing right here!"_

_Lucy narrowed her eyes with unwavering conviction. "Not for much longer."_

_This caused E.N.D.'s expression to sour, all hints of nonchalance gone. His lips curled into a spurned sneer, and his fingers started twitching, like he was itching to move _something_. Lucy did her best to pretend that she wasn't disturbed to the core by his sudden one-eighty personality change, but the way he was studying everyone, quietly forming a plan in that twisted little mind of his…it wasn't looking good for anyone. _

"_I gotta…gotta destroy something," he grunted, looking more feral and untamed with each passing second. Smoke puffed out his nose with every rise and fall of his chest. "This is making me so mad I could just _crush_ everything! I've got so much power running through me that I might just _explode_."_

_Lucy wavered just the slightest bit, trying her best not to take her eyes off of him as she could feel everyone else wondering who was going to make the first move. E.N.D.'s blank eyes skirted over the crowd, like he himself was selecting his first victim. _

"_I'll…I'll take you all on at once! I'm not scared!"_

_Lucy bit her lip as E.N.D. punched a fist into his palm and put on his biggest grin…just like Natsu always did…_

"_I dare ya to come at me…" The flames erupted around him like a blue volcano, his demonic expression illuminated by the fire. "…AND GIVE ME YOUR BEST SHOT!"_

. . .

It had been a_ bloodbath_\- Lucy already knew the group was no match for Zeref…so how did they think E.N.D. would be any easier? She knew they all had valiantly pressed on for one reason, and one reason only…and that was to save Natsu from this thing he had become.

And yet, thanks to his Curse, those pure emotions of concern everyone harbored only made E.N.D. stronger…and therefore, lead to their own demise.

Lucy was still nauseous when she thought back to Loke- he bestowed upon her his version of the Star Dress, and the two of them prepared to make E.N.D. see the light…but it only took a second for E.N.D. to grab Loke by the tie and slam him to the ground, followed by twirling behind Lucy and coiling his arm around her neck.

"You think your flimsy little playthings made of stardust are going to be able to touch me?" he whispered in her ear almost a little too huskily. "I'd _love_ to see 'em try."

Of course Loke had darted to the rescue of his master, but Lucy was hastily thrown to the ground, forced to watch as E.N.D. slunk around behind the lion and punched straight through his chest. Lucy and Loke mirrored looks of horror, and while Loke wasn't permanently hurt, watching him fade back to the Celestial Spirit World with a sorrowful and apologetic look was too much for Lucy to take.

"I told ya," E.N.D. snarled as he opened his hand and let any remaining magic drift away. "…nothing but star dust. Too bad I couldn't make him stay dead. He's way too intimate with you, in my opinion."

"Don't say that like you own me!" Lucy barked, taking out another key as E.N.D. snickered and licked his teeth.

"Oh, don't be like that…what, did you think I kissed you for nothing? I love you, Lucy!"

Lucy's chest locked as her heart threatened to escape her ribcage. "…Natsu I'd believe, but a demon like you wouldn't know what love is!"

"Oh, Lucy, you wound me- truly," E.N.D. moaned, grabbing at his own heart as he punched away an oncoming Jellal. "After all, you only gain power by holding the things you love dearly close to your heart, and you are what I love dearest! No one gives me more power than you!"

Her emotions were her downfall, as she immediately tried to use Urano Metria to do him in quickly, yet in the next moment she found her whip being used against her, restraining her limbs, cutting her off from using her magic, and rendering her immobile against a rock. He plucked her keys right off of her and said he was only making sure she was safe, since she _didn't like_ how he protected her before…and then prevented anyone else from getting close to her, bathing the masses in a torrent of fire.

Laxus, bless him, had been the first to fully take on the demon, despite the fact that his dragon lungs were damaged beyond repair and his Dragon Lacrima was functioning through a miracle alone. He went hard, striking down with lightning from above and letting up for nothing. E.N.D. simply smirked and activated his Lightning Flame Dragon Mode, nullifying the element of electricity and using it for himself. Seeing he was beat, Laxus had called for help from his team before attempting to conjure up Fairy Law…but E.N.D. overpowered them horribly, leaving them cowering together and staring death in the face as he launched a fiery blue roar at them, complete with deadly-looking purple electricity.

Laxus couldn't keep failing to protect the things most important to him…and he did the only think he could think to do.

He halted the casting of Fairy Law and ate the lightning…even if it was mixed with fire.

And his marred lungs just couldn't take it.

. . .

_"I realize...I'm not a member of Fairy Tail anymore..." Laxus seethed, on his knees at the mercy of the psychotic Hades. "…but this bastard took out my grandpa...So I'm allowed to take revenge, right?"_

_"Yeah, of course you are!" Natsu's voice screamed through the despair, and a coy grin crept onto the Lightning Dragon Slayer's face. _

_Next thing anyone knew, a ton of lightning has been transferred into Natsu, and there was a huge hole on the floor where Laxus once was. Wood splintered as the supports caved in, Laxus falling motionless on the pile of rubble that had built up below. He could barely hear the awed whispers of Natsu's team…all that matter was that Natsu had taken on his power. _

_"This one's...my treat...Natsu..."_

_"Why did you give it to me?" Natsu demanded to know, hands trembling. "You know that I'm weaker than you…!"_

_"It has nothing to do with who's weaker or stronger," Laxus finalized, a fulfilled smile on his face. "He wounded Fairy Tail's master...it's only right that someone with the guild's emblem take him down. Anyone who hurts the guild deserves what's coming to them...so go get 'im, Natsu."_

_Natsu's eyes were hidden by his bangs, but his conviction was clear as day when his body ignited, accompanied by sparking yellow lighting dancing about him. _

_"...Okay."_

. . .

The Lightning Dragon Slayer was on the ground and choking, unable to properly breathe after poisoning himself, and with the way his eyes rolled into the back of his head, it was obvious even he wasn't going to hang on this time. Freed froze and shuddered over his body, while Evergreen and Bickslow foolishly jumped into battle for revenge. E.N.D. dodged the attacks of everyone else before burning away the bodies of Bickslow's babies, leaving their souls with nowhere to go on the barren and empty island. Evergreen's Fairy Magic wasn't doing anything, so she snapped off her glasses and stared E.N.D. down –and Bickslow whipped off his helmet to hopefully claim whatever soul the demon possibly had- and it probably would have worked had E.N.D. not closed his eyes and relied instead on his nose and ears.

Their screams were still ringing in Lucy's ears, the way Evergreen had howled when her Fairy Wings were torn off with a fiery whip, and Bickslow had been literally blinded by fire moments later, unable to properly witness the final blow dealt to him. Evergreen crashed to the hard ground like a crushed bug, barely hanging on as she feebly reached out for Elfman. It had been at this point that Lucy noticed Freed, whose head had twisted at an angle that shouldn't have been possible…

And both his tear-filled eyes were a ghastly shade of empty purple.

"Dark Écriture: SLICE!"

A thin yet bloody gash had been carved into E.N.D.'s washboard abs, but E.N.D. ignored the pain and threw himself at Freed, who was conjuring enchantments at an unheard of speed. He had sprouted wings of darkness and took on a beastly form himself, zooming around over E.N.D.'s head and slinging inscriptions of Fear, Suffering, and Pain down unto the demon below. E.N.D.'s Curse, however, nullified these attacks, and when Freed went to inflict Death…death was inflicted upon _him_.

. . .

_"Come on, Gramps, you don't seriously think they would hurt 'em?" Natsu told Makarov, looking impossibly happy about the thrill of a good fight despite the circumstances. "I know he can be a pain sometimes but he's still one of us!"_

_"Even after all this you think he's still part of the guild?" Makarov thought to himself, bewilderedly watching as Natsu hopped around, hoping to fight the Thunder Legion. "Even after all this...you think he wouldn't harm his fellow members..."_

. . .

"EVER!" Elfman had bellowed just moments later, hovering over the body of the fallen fairy. She was in a ton of pain, and it was going to completely overwhelm her…but she still had enough energy left to stroke her hands against his firm jaw and tell him that he was and always will be the only real man for her…but her Thunder Legion was waiting for her.

Elfman's tears were quickly replaced with an indomitable rage, a roar rocking the ground as he lunged toward where E.N.D. was standing over the recently departed Freed. E.N.D. merely blinked as Elfman became five times his size and took on the form of every beast he'd ever slain, swearing to protect everyone he cared about, and vowing to not fail again.

E.N.D. swiped his arm downward, casting a condense wave of flame straight at the rampaging beast.

. . .

_"Would you shut up?! Enough with the blubbering already!" Natsu yelled, unable to watch Elfman endlessly blame himself for his sister's death. "Do you really think Lisanna would want you to carry around that guilt? How's she supposed to smile if her brother's feeling sad?"_

_Elfman removed any remaining tears with his sleeve, deciding to heed Natsu's advice. "...you're right."_

_"No matter what happened, she always had a smile on her face. Remember? Even at the very end...she never lost her smile." The dragon slayer's shoulders were trembling. "If she were here now, I'm sure she'd say whenever you're feeling down, that's when you need to smile the most. So buck up! Show her a smile like a real man!"_

_Elfman's eyes widened, suddenly inspired for life. _

_"...a real man..."_

. . .

Lisanna had been in the middle of helping a wounded Gajeel and Jet, but her heart skipped several beats when she caught sight of Elfman…and Elfman's right arm lying not too far away from him. She immediately grew nauseous at the sight as hot tears boiled over, but it was obvious violence wasn't going to work. Only Freed had managed to land a blow on E.N.D. so far, and that was quite literally just a scratch…

"N-Natsu…" she whimpered, moving away from the wounded to catch his attention. "Y-you have to stop this…"

She held out her arms in the most unthreatening way to demonstrate that she meant no harm. E.N.D. hurled a struggling Jellal away like a ragdoll before acknowledging her, noting the look on her face.

His flames skyrocketed.

"We both know how much you love life…and slaughtering your friends isn't right…" Her smile was somewhat hollow as her eyes betrayed her true sadness, but still she approached him with the intent to calm him down. "This isn't even your fault…you need to relax and get out of your Etherious form…"

"And why would I do that, _honey_?" He was suddenly towering over her, a clawed finger scraping against her soft skin. She shuddered at the unwanted sensation. "It's been centuries since I've felt this power…for so long my true strength was sealed away in a wretched book…and now I'm free to do _whatever I like_."

The hand that had been caressing her face was suddenly wrapped tautly around her throat.

"And it really pisses me off when someone tries to stand in my way, emotional bond or not."

. . .

_"Hey, if I ever went missing like that again, you'd go looking for me, wouldn't you? You wouldn't just let me stay _gone_, right?"_

. . .

E.N.D. dropped her uselessly to the ground…and actually felt an unforgiving chill run up his spine. He scanned the battlefield, fighting through a few idiots who still thought they could land a blow on him, until his gaze fell on Mirajane, standing in the middle of the area without a scintilla of mercy throughout her. Already being in Satan Soul she looked frightening enough, but with her hollow eyes and the way she threw her head back to scream…it even managed to rattle the Great Demon Lord Dragneel.

"YOU…TOOK AWAY…MY FAMILY….!" the creature once known as Mirajane howled, entering her Satan Soul: Sitri form. "All they did was love you…AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DOOOOOO?!"

"Mirajane, wait-!" Levy meekly tried intervene, but Mirajane was blind with rage, flying straight at E.N.D. with the intent to kill. She reached her own claw out to either gauge at his jugular or tear out his soul, but for as fast she was, E.N.D. refused to let her get close. He suddenly gained blue wings of flame, using them to fly himself out of her line of fire, then raised his hands over his head.

E.N.D. roared as a blue sphere appeared between his palms, readying the large mass like a baseball as Mirajane twisted around and threw herself at him in her anger. He whipped his arm in front of him and plowed the ball of blue lava down upon her, knocking her out of the sky and sending her to the ground in a less than graceful decent. A few wizards managed to spring out of the way in time, but Mirajane…

She unfortunately wasn't walking away from that…and _worse_, Levy had gotten caught in the aftermath.

A strangled cry ripped from Lucy at the sight of two of her favorite people having their lives snuffed out like that, and her heart only broke more when Jet, Droy, and Lily jumped up with the intent to kill. It was painful to watch, especially knowing they didn't have a chance- Jet found his legs broken almost immediately, Droy's plants had backfired horribly when they caught aflame, and Lily…was impaled with his own superheated weapon. It had been over in seconds…short little, almost worthless seconds.

. . .

"_Levy...Jet...Droy...Lucy...Gramps...all my friends...my guild...Fairy Tail...This is for attacking them! And destroying our guild hall!"_

_. . . _

Mirajane had been pissed, but Gajeel was something else _completely_, hardly even himself as he had morphed into Shadow Steel Dragon Mode and lunged at E.N.D. The demon recoiled as slice after slice gouged into his sides with the nicks he received from Gajeel's chainsaw-like arm, but even then the pain Gajeel was feeling on the inside was far more intense.

"You killed my cat…my goddamn cat…and you took away the girl I loved!" Gajeel snarled, landing harshly on the ground and melting into the shadows. "Get ready to go back to hell, ya bloody bastard…!"

He sprung back up right in front of E.N.D. to sock him in the face with a metal fist, ignoring the limp he currently sported and the hurt in his eyes. He oh so wanted that satisfying feeling of watching E.N.D. get socked across the island and hopefully drown in the waters…but of course that didn't happen.

E.N.D. grabbed his iron bar fist and gritted his teeth as he was pushing along the ground, the heels of his boots grinding into the dry dirt. At some point, Gajeel had run out of momentum, and a devious grin twisted onto E.N.D.'s face when his hands suddenly lit up with purple electricity…and steel conducted electricity far better than iron.

. . .

_"Don't you get it? We're the only ones left that can stop him."_

"_Tch, since when are _you_ so pro-Fairy Tail?"_

"_I can protect or destroy whatever the hell I want to!"_

_"...I thought you said that the sky's not big enough for two dragons."_

_"Yeah, that's true, but there ain't no dragons flying around in the sky now. Not with all this lightning."_

. . .

Gajeel, a paralyzed and twitching mess, fell backwards _hard_, not that he could feel the impact. E.N.D. chuckled at the display, then wondered why no one was throwing themselves at him anymore. He quickly found that Erza was hovering over a heavily wounded Jellal, with Wendy trying to treat him and Carla as fast as she possibly could. Poor Wendy was in withering disarray, and her breath hitched when she smelled and heard E.N.D.'s approach, a nasty-looking flame perched at his fingertips and ready to strike.

He wasn't expecting Carla to break away from her treatment, flash over, and attempt to claw his eyes out.

"You stay away from her, you cretin!" the humanoid cat hissed, digging her claws into whatever skin she could sink them in to. E.N.D. hardly pegged her as a threat- he yanked her by the tail, looped her once over his head and tossed her harshly, slamming her into the other side of the rock Lucy was tied to. Lucy's chest had locked when she heard a simultaneous _crack_ and_ snap_, but nothing made her more unwell than the sound that came from Happy, who had been trying to free Lucy from her whip restraints.

"CARLA!" Wendy roared, breaking away from Jellal to go tend to her. E.N.D. snarled at her getting too close to Lucy, having already taken care of Erza for the moment by biting down on her sword of choice and kicking her away. He tore himself towards the blue-haired girl, only to find himself irrevocably stopped when something plowed into his jaw.

"You touch her and I won't show any mercy," Doranbolt growled, grabbing his now burning fist. E.N.D. gave him a once over with a flick of his ivory eyes and just simpered.

"Tch, and what do_ you_ plan to do? Wipe my memory of being E.N.D. or something? S'not gonna work if I'm aware of it, buddy."

Doranbolt's face twisted as he teleported all around E.N.D., making the demon's eyes spin as it seemed like he was attacking from multiple places all at once. Sure, it was taking a toll on his magic…but if it would prolong Wendy's life to hopefully save another…he would endure.

E.N.D. tried his best to break out of the wall that was Doranbolt, but when he felt something stab into his back he knew he wasn't going to be able to take down the teleporter like this. E.N.D. went still and closed his eyes, relying on his other senses to hear just where Doranbolt was and time his next attack perfectly. Doranbolt slowed up the slightest bit, wondering what E.N.D. was about to do, and time seemed to slow down.

Wendy looked over her shoulder just in time to see a blue beam of flames coming her way, the deathly glow reflecting in her irises.

"Direct Line!"

E.N.D. smirked as he nailed his target; Wendy's head was still over her shoulder, although there was no longer an attack coming at her. Instead, her gaze was fixated onto the man that had just taken the blow for her, wearing a smile that said he would still do it again if he was given the chance.

And just by looking at the gaping hole in his body, Wendy knew there was no way she'd be able to heal that.

. . .

_"Your master's been defeated, and Grimoire Heart's got incredibly powerful wizards on their side. There's no way you can beat them!" Doranbolt howled, grabbing at his head. Natsu was not amused. _

_"Oh yeah? So we should just blow up the whole island, huh?"_

_"Are you threatening the Magic Council? Some lowly wizards?!"_

_"You've got a lot to learn, man! Whether it's Grimoire Heart or the Magic Council, Fairy Tail doesn't back down!" Natsu got dangerously close to Doranbolt's face, enough so that even the Magic Council member was sweating bullets from the intensity of his gaze. "You attack us? It's gonna be your last mistake! We'll put you deep in the ground!"_

. . .

If anyone had put up the best fight against E.N.D., it would have had to be Wendy. She had never felt such a despair before, losing both Carla and Doranbolt in such quick succession on top of everyone else, but she took Natsu's own words and channeled that crippling sorrow into a strength she could use, manifesting it all into her Dragon Force. Her hair faded to pink, her fangs grew, and scales covered her whole body, making her look nearly as demonic as E.N.D. The wind roared and the sky seemed to cry as hard as she did, bellowing out a roar that blew E.N.D. halfway across the island.

Lucy and the sobbing Happy were nearly whipped about by the tornado-turned-hurricane that was conjured by the Sky Dragon Slayer's might and rage alone. The force of it was enough to lay waste to Zeref's castle, a catastrophic _boom_ ringing out when it collapsed like a house of cards. Both Happy and Lucy were aware that fire was at a disadvantage when it came to wind…but it wasn't like fire had never trumped the odds before either.

E.N.D. snarled and held his arms out behind him and released as much fire as he possibly could, doing his best to fight against the wind that so adamantly kept him away. It was a battle of dragon will against dragon will, and neither side seemed to be letting up. E.N.D. got gradually closer to Wendy in the smallest increments, but Wendy refused to let him hurt anyone else, her aura sharp and bright as she screamed. Lucy and Happy thought she had him on the ropes, especially when she changed the wind direction to allow herself to fly straight at him, a perfectly open shot for a finishing strike-

Probably the worst thing that could have happened was that he had punctured her lungs with his gnarly claws, permanently cutting her off from her element.

. . .

_"You're okay...NATSU! You kept your promise...you're the greatest...I can't thank you enough...If it weren't for you, Cait Shelter would have been wiped out!"_

_"Well...there's no way I could have done it on my own. Thanks guys."_

_"You've saved my guild..."_

_"No, _we_ saved your guild."_

_"I-I didn't do much..."_

_"Aw, come on. You destroyed a lacrima too!"_

_"Hee, you're right!"_

_The duo traded a high five afterwards, Wendy gazing happily at the man she could easily see as an older brother. _

. . .

The winds died down and E.N.D. stared at his bloodied hand for a second, but this was forgotten when he felt the power in the area surge. He sniffed around in search for the source, and ended up locating Erza with shattered armor and a shaken Jellal, both with outstretched latching hands and their other arms wrapped around each other's shoulders. The both of them were screaming something about a definitive strike from the heavenly bodies above –E.N.D. frankly blocked them out- and they burst into light, being the only shining beacon on the dark little isle.

"Magic Fusion! UNISION RAID: HEAVEN'S JUDGEMENT!"

The words sent chills through Lucy as the sky's dark clouds opened up, several blinding meteors starting to crash down from above. During the descent they had combined to form a single sword, set to collide and purify the demon with unmatched heavenly light. The duo sighed in relief as they fell to the ground as one, watching their attack make its designated strike. They had been completely drained after summoning such a spell, but they pulled it off…they smite the demon with the light of the heavens.

Except, hellfire shone just as bright.

E.N.D. wheezed as he crawled out of the crater, his clothes in tatters and quite a few new scrapes and scars adorning his flesh. He looked a mess, but his horns of flames were lurid, and even through his obvious pain he managed to look over at Lucy and flash her a wide fanged smile that split his face in two.

A grin that normally made her chest swell warmly now made her heart sink into her stomach.

It was her bond with him that kept him alive.

She just wanted this nightmare to end, sinking to her knees as best she could when she couldn't keep herself standing anymore. She wanted to cry endlessly; wanted to shed tears for everyone that had fallen, but no signs of physical sadness would come forth. Happy was wailing enough for the both of them- all of Happy's training for this moment…was in preparation to help _Natsu_, and now the only way he could help was by keeping his final promise to the man who served as a foster father for him, and that was to protect Lucy. It was all he _could_ do, and Lucy couldn't even imagine the turmoil going through the little cat's head. It had to at least be on par with hers.

Erza was just _broken_\- to see Titania in such an emotionally exposed state would internally decimate _anyone_, and E.N.D. had rubbed salt in the wounds by picking off Jellal first. Jellal was far too weary to dodge or anything, but he had managed to buy Erza some time- time Erza didn't want anymore.

. . .

_"Hold it right there! Get out of my way..." Natsu roared, singlehandedly battling against the Magic Council as they tried to take Jellal away. "He's one of us! And that means he comes with us!"_

_"No...don't do this..."_

_"Come on, let him go! You owe Erza big time! She needs you to stay by her side! She did it for you, man!" Natsu meant every word, Jellal's eyes widening with shock. "You've gotta stay! Because whether you like it or not, you're one of us now!"_

. . .

Lucy would never, ever say that Erza had given up, but when Jellal died in her arms –so_ close_ to her, just like Juvia- a piece of her went too. Already the redhead had gone through much loss, torture, and torment in her life, and opening up to a new family had been the only thing that saved her. Just seeing how far Jellal had come gave her reassurance in life as well, the man who gave her heartache in ways more than one had found redemption of his own, even if he did walk a darker path…but he slipped away in her arms, his parting words breaking the last remaining armor encased around her heart.

"_I had…two wishes…one of them was to someday call myself a Fairy Tail wizard…and the other was to be at your side for all of eternity…"_

She could have completely lost herself after that, but she didn't, remaining unwavering as her jaded eyes rolled up to meet E.N.D.'s, who was approaching her to add her number to the body count.

"I finally did it…I finally beat Erza!" he laughed happily, almost as if this was just some barroom brawl back at the guild. "Haha, I told you I'd do it one day…! Titania on her knees before me…!"

A soft, almost melodic hum escaped from Erza, using the last drop of her magic to summon a single sword above her head- her default blade, her go-to in a pinch. E.N.D. had tensed and shifted, all ready to dodge and counter effortlessly, but Erza remained still and graceful in her truly hopeless situation. It was then that he realized that the sword was not aimed at him…

It was pointed downward.

"Sorry…but I won't be giving you that satisfaction."

The sword plunged from the air, making an ephemeral descent in front of the demon, who was stuck in a suspended state of disbelief afterwards.

Even in death…Titania Erza Scarlet was beautiful.

. . .

_"Natsu, I can't imagine my life without Fairy Tail...if it weren't for you and the others, I wouldn't be here today."_

_"I feel the same way you do...and I know everyone else does too. Promise me you won't do something like that again."_

_"I won't."_

_"…PROMISE?!"_

_"...I promise. Thank you... Natsu...This experience has taught me an important lesson...you don't die for you friends...you live for them...because the future wouldn't be as happy without you in it."_

. . .

It all happened so quickly.

Lucy was a mess of delirium, torment, and exhaustion as E.N.D. walked through his wonderland of death, yet even through her lethargic, muddled, and numb thoughts she could see such little traces of Natsu within the demon…and she couldn't tell whether or not that gave her hope or only tore her soul into smaller pieces.

Happy ducked behind the rock and returned to Carla's side when E.N.D. approached, unable to even handle looking at him so close up. Lucy didn't have a choice- she didn't get to hide away from the nightmare. She was forced to endure it, and even closing her eyes wouldn't have helped…she would still hear the final screams of her friends as they left this cruel world.

"So much for killing me," mumbled E.N.D., almost sounding…disappointed? "No one even gave me a good fight…except, maybe Wendy. Everyone else was really predictable."

"Don't talk about them like that." Lucy's voice was flat- oh, emotions were_ surging_ within her, but they had taken such a toll on her that she was too tired to properly lash out. In a way, he had her beat without even laying a finger on her. Happy was mewling behind the rock, and if E.N.D. had heard, he wasn't bothering to acknowledge the cat, much too enraptured with the girl in the striking ball gown. Lucy was unable to fend him off as his stained hand reached for her cheek- she felt a spike of fear when she recalled what happened to Lisanna.

But he just kept his hand there…a hand that had taken away so many lives.

"Don't tense up so much- I could never hurt you, Lucy," E.N.D. rumbled lowly, a strange set to his expression.

"Oh, but you can murder _everyone else_ that means something to you without any hesitation!?" Lucy spat, and E.N.D. froze. "Why am_ I_ so special?!"

He pressed his forehead to hers and she went entirely rigid. His touch was too hot, and somewhat too foreign. She didn't like it.

"It's because I love you, ya weirdo-"

"…that means nothing- you're not the same person who kissed me before he gave up his humanity to rid the world of Zeref. You're not the boy that loves me." Her eyes squeezed tight, tears falling out anyway. "…if you can just easily slaughter your family then you don't _know _what love is. You're just nothing but a _monster_."

Only the sound of crackling blue flames across the ground could be heard. Even Happy had gone completely silent.

"…_what _did you just say?"

Lucy shook, unsure of why her words had suddenly struck a chord with him. E.N.D.'s eyes grew fierce and he pounced towards her, getting up in her face and pressing her back against the rock.

"What did you call me?!"

"…a monster…"

Lucy felt her heart snap in two as she looked upon E.N.D. – he was actually _crying_ at this point. Light, delicate sobbing as his eyes widened and shot sadness-filled daggers at her. It was already rare to see Natsu in such a vulnerable state- this demon version of him wearing such an expression…it was just unnatural.

"…you said you would never think of me as a monster…"

"H-Huh?!"

"…no matter what…" His shoulders trembled, actually sounding hurt despite everything. "…you said you would never think of me as a monster…"

"I don't understand…why do you suddenly care now when you ruthlessly took part in a one-man massacre mere minutes ago?! Why not kill me too and just add to your uncontrollable destruction?!"

"Because I can't stand to see _you_ hurt- if you're hurt, it hurts me too…"

Lucy shook her head violently, sweat running down the length of her neck. "N-no…stop it…stop talking like you're him…"

"How many times do I have to tell you!?" E.N.D. screeched, his hands flying to his head to fist his spiky pink hair, looking her dead in the eyes. "It's me, Lucy- _IT'S ME_!"

And then, for the first time since arriving on the Devil's Cradle, the temperature dropped.

Neither of them knew what was happening, but E.N.D. blanched when there was suddenly a_ chain_ wrapped around his torso, followed by ones that literally appeared out of thin air and latched to his wrists and ankles.

_Ice_ chains.

There was only enough time for the duo to exchange a perplexed and somewhat frightened look before E.N.D. was pulled away, his next scream sounding remarkably Natsu-ish.

"LUCY-!"

Lucy was so confused as E.N.D. was violently pulled away…but then she saw it.

Ice skating across the ocean with a torrent of frosty mist billowing behind him was none other than Gray Fullbuster, his skin almost completely covered in black marks and now sporting_ two_ red eyes.

"YOU BASTARD…!" the Ice Devil Slayer hollered, pulling tighter on the chains and making E.N.D. bend over backwards. Lucy was speechless, but there was a wave of relief when Gray reached her, sliced her free from her bindings, and swiftly pulled her into his arms when she struggled to stand. There was a blended expression on his face- one half was utterly murderous and the other half wanted to break down and cry.

"Lucy…" he managed to croak out, instinctively pulling her closer as the sight of the carnage burned into his memory. "Are you…all right…?"

Lucy didn't know what "all right" even meant anymore.

"N-no, Gray…everyone…" Lucy was quaking in his cold hold, only able to keep herself together by staring into his eyes. "Everyone's gone forever…"

Gray bit his lip as his chest tightened, at a loss for words.

"Dammit all… I tried to get here as soon as I got a lead on where Zeref was, but I was all the way across the kingdom-"

"Please don't blame yourself," Lucy whispered, clutching onto him seeking desperate comfort. "Everyone did what they could…it just wasn't enough…"

"I can imagine." Gray's eyes narrowed, a rough shift in his tone. "I'm going to kill that heartless bastard for doing this. The only one in the world with the power to slay that demon…_is me_."

"But Gray…!" Lucy's breath caught in her throat. "That's…E.N.D. is-!"

"I know who he is."

Lucy's heart jumped in her throat when E.N.D. suddenly locked eyes with her, his empty white orbs now filled with rage and envy as he started biting down on the icy chains Gray imposed on him, only to hiss and recoil when the demon slayer magic proved to be more than he could take on. An almost desperate plea escaped his lips as he leaned forward and practically begged.

"Let_ go_ of her- she's_ mine_!"

"Why?" Gray hissed, bringing Lucy closer just to spite the demon he planned to slay. "So you can kill her too?! I know how you work- anything within your range you'll destroy because you have no damn self-control, and I'm _not_ going to let you ruin everything! Look at what you've done already- you're going to_ pay_, damn it! You're not going to get away with anything this time!"

E.N.D. glowered at Gray, shaking his chains as the temperature rose once again. The only thing that made it bearable for Lucy was the cold aura Gray was giving off.

"I _told_ you…" His flaming horns crackled before shooting upwards, blue blazing wings suddenly jetting out of his back. "Let…Lucy…go…_NOW_!"

Lucy yelped when a wall of flames divided her from Gray, both of them falling to the ground and scrambling away from the searing heat that threatened to consume them both.

"Gray-!" Lucy screeched, holding her hand out as the fire took her out of sight. The tip of her palm brushed against its intense heat, and just that tiny sting was enough to make her flinch back. The wall of blue fire encircled her and left her trapped; Happy tried to fly in from the top to get her out, but he couldn't even get close to the flames without nearly being singed. She thought she heard E.N.D. say something along the lines of 'let's see if he touches her now' even over the roar of the flames.

"…I'm going to enjoy wiping you off the face of the planet, ya pervy popsicle."

E.N.D. finally snapped his chains and tore off his jacket, snarling at his lifelong rival. Gray slammed his fist into his palm after shedding his own jacket, red eyes narrowing contemptuously.

"You won't be saying that when I freeze your remains, goddamn hothead!"

E.N.D. made a show of his serrated teeth at Gray's challenge, running his tongue along their edges as his blue flames rose triumphantly to the sky. Lucy couldn't see what was happening, but what she heard was able to chill her to the bone just the same.

"Heh heh heh…_I'm all fired up now_."


	10. Incinerate

**I suppose I should mention that there's some Chapter 434 things sprinkled in here- but hey, it's still resonating with me and it wormed its way in. xD**

* * *

Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

_~Prompt 6: Incinerate~_  
.:A Single Moment of Sincerity:.

It was the age-old question: would the world end in fire? Or would it be preserved by ice? Would the lands be ravaged by a salacious hellfire, desolation consuming everything? Or perhaps everything would be frozen in time, and when everything defrosted, things would begin anew?

Until today, none had the answer.

Hot and cold were battling for dominance just from the atmosphere alone, the END and the IDS staring each other down with impossibly intense gazes and their opposing elements dancing at their fingertips, knowing that only one of them was going to make it out of this alive. Gray Fullbuster only wished that he could be numb to this feeling- this feeling of impending dread and overwhelming disappointment no matter what the outcome of this grisly fight. It was the only feeling he couldn't cut himself off from.

On the other end of the spectrum, Etherious Natsu Dragneel was drinking in the despair with the utmost conceit, knowing that it was a dismal cocktail of anguish, sorrow, and hopelessness that he had brought on himself. He had prevailed over everyone that had opposed him so far, and Lucy was still safe…all that was left to do was pluck that defiant ice princess off the face of the planet and move on from there.

"Been a while since my blood's boiled over like this!" E.N.D. chuckled, blue fiery aura _whooshing_ about him as proof. "Somehow, you've always been able to keep up with me…but that's going to change today, Gray. Today's the day where you fall behind permanently."

Gray's eyes narrowed as his arms became coated in icy spikes- ice that slowly started to turn red.

"To think that you could even possibly hope to surpass me…I've always been one step ahead, and this is the time that it's going to count!" He wagged his tongue tauntingly at the demon slayer; he failed to elicit a response. "Oh, what- getting cold feet _now_? What's wrong? Not strong enough to kill an old comrade? I should have known you were still internally too weak."

"…I thought I told you already," Gray murmured, lowering his eyes as he crouched and took a battle position. "I've cut off all my ties to my family and friends. I've cut off all my ties to Fairy Tail…I've cut off anything and everything related to you. Whatever past we may have shared…it no longer holds any bearing on what I do now. And after the way you've stripped the world of so many innocent lives, I won't have a problem taking yours in exchange."

A hand flew to Lucy's mouth as she remained trapped by the fire, pulling her knees to her chest while hot tears streamed down her eyes. This wasn't supposed to be happening…this wasn't supposed to be happening at all…

"…just what I wanted to hear. Means I won't have to hold back then." A shit-eating grin crawled onto the demon's face, his hands clenching and igniting scandalously. "…We really should have seen this coming, though. I mean, we've been fighting since the first moment you met me. Did we really think we could call each other _friend _when we couldn't even look at each other without being disgusted?"

Gray's gaze was empty as he stared into E.N.D.'s ivory orbs.

"Your power is fueled by the emotional connections you've built with others…do you really mean to tell me that you've truly never had any sort of bond with me?"

E.N.D. was quiet, but his flames wavered just the tiniest bit. Gray shook his head afterwards, acting like the question hadn't even mattered. If there _was_ anything bonding them together, Gray had severed it already- there was nothing holding him back from killing this demon right where it stood.

"You said it yourself, Gray- fire and ice…just don't mix." There was something ghostly dissatisfied in E.N.D.'s tone. "And I'm going to melt you until you're a withering puddle of ashes on the ground."

A huge spike of ice suddenly jetted up from the ground; E.N.D. spread his flaming wings and flew straight over the top of it, latching his hand to the tip and propelling himself downwards with a fiery fist. It collided with Gray's awaiting frosty one, and the even display of force sent a shockwave coursing over the entire island.

Lucy, in her little circle of flame, could feel the strength the both of them were giving off, and she was afraid to ask Happy how bad the impending showdown was about to be; it was obvious that only one of them was walking out alive…_if_ they didn't kill _each other_.

It was like two forces of nature going at one another.

E.N.D. was already drinking in the thrill of the battle, getting drunk on his euphoria. Gray was setting up ice wall after wall, trying to stave off the demon, but E.N.D. simply jumped from one to the next, covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time and bringing him closer to Gray in a flash. Gray snapped his fingers and created a huge geyser of ice; E.N.D. somersaulted through it in a ring of fire, then skid to the ground and smirked at his adversary.

"Just try and come at me, snowman!" E.N.D. cackled, his body wisping away as he transformed into full-on cobalt flame, circling the area around Gray in a hot cerulean haze. "You know you've never beaten me before…!"

"You know just as well as I do that we've never had a clear winner," Gray murmured quietly, undeterred by the rapidly increasing temperature. "…but I've also never lost to the same opponent twice, and especially not when it's important!"

He let out a bellow of rage before skating in the opposite direction as E.N.D., eventually merging into his own element and becoming a charging streak of ice. A torrent of fire and frost took shape at the center of the isle, circling each other in what appeared to be an eternal dance until the two opposing elements gradually drew closer to each other. They warped into an intertwined spiral, and when the two of them finally collided with each other, everything burst into a huge explosion.

Gray had gasped for air as he skid along the ground, staring at the crater where he and the demon had connected, but E.N.D. didn't have it so easy- the devil slaying magic was obviously having an effect on him. His slightly tanned skin now took on a pale shade as he staggered about, unsure of whether to be impressed or terrified by the power Gray now possessed. But it didn't matter either way…

He still wanted the buzz of the fight; he still wanted to take him down.

"Not even getting sliced by Freed and Gajeel hurt that much," E.N.D. mused to himself, not particularly enjoying the sizzling sensation that was running through his nerves. His ivory gaze rolled up to meet Gray's crimson one. "…just what are you anyway?"

"Isn't that what people are supposed to ask you?" Gray sneered bitterly, already in an Ice Make stance. "And I thought I made it clear already…that I'm an Ice Devil Slayer; the only one of my kind…and with the single purpose of bringing down Zeref's strongest demon…"

The frost around Gray seemed to intensify; E.N.D. just cocked his head curiously.

"…and I gave up _everything_ to accomplish this task!" Gray was starting to quake in his boots, the cold around him getting bigger and bigger with every virulent word that passed through his lips. "You thrive with the bonds of others…but I thrive without them!"

Lucy gasped from where she was, shuddering uncontrollably herself. Gray was still saying such terrible things, and there was nothing she could do to persuade him otherwise...it was clear that Gray had been consumed with obsession for destroying something…and in that aspect, he was no better than Etherious Natsu Dragneel.

"I…I…" Gray was completely beside himself at this point, almost looking like he had just snapped. "…I won't let all these sacrifices be in vain! I've disappointed enough people…and you are the last person that I'm going to fail against! Never again, Natsu!"

E.N.D. had to cover his ears to protect them against the distressed snarl that ruptured from Gray, and actually looked a little scared when a remarkably frigid chill rippled over the area. His expression dipped into 'horrified' once the black markings adorning his adversary started to overtake every last remaining patch of pale skin. Cold ice-tipped fangs prodded out of his mouth, and the white in his eyes faded to black, with a menacing red spot dotted into each one. Gray was almost delirious with his own power- entirely on par with E.N.D.

"What…what did you do to yourself?" E.N.D. whispered out of shock alone.

"What? Don't like it? I thought you'd be a little more_ impressed_," Gray jeered, just as a pair of icy horns jetted out of his head and a frozen tail emerged into existence. "It's similar to your Dragon Force…when you attain a more powerful form and take on attributes of a dragon; obtaining magic that's comparable to the very thing your magic was designed to slay…"

E.N.D.'s eyes widened. "No…n-no…"

"_Yes_," Gray seethed, taking a step forward and freezing the ground beneath him. "I've taken on the attributes of demons; the very thing I was destined to slay…it's a little something I like to call…_Devil Force_."

Seventeen shards of devil slaying ice encircled Gray's head, but not for long as they changed direction in midair and shot towards E.N.D. Crimson splattered when the ice cut through the demon's skin like glass, enforcing a yowl of pain afterwards. E.N.D. hastily grabbed at his wounds, but was forced to roll out of the way when Gray flew forward, punting him away with a flaming kick. His chest heaved from the excruciating pain he was suddenly feeling, and only then did he realize that Gray truly had the power to bring him down this time…and for good, at that.

Gray recovered quickly from the kick, eliciting a mad cackle of his own as he coated the ground in nothing but ice, giving himself the field advantage. He slid safely out of the way of E.N.D.'s precise fire breath attack, leaving the demon to klutzily stumble all over himself as he slipped up. Snarling, he quickly tried to thaw the ice, but Gray could freeze it faster than E.N.D. could melt it, leaving the demon open for plenty of counterattacks. If Gray hadn't looked so grotesque, one would say his movements were quite fluid and graceful. He maneuvered around his makeshift ice rink with utmost fastidiousness, allowing him to move at a speed that far outclassed E.N.D.'s, being able to hit the demon from anywhere he wanted. Each roar that ripped out of E.N.D. was another strike towards victory for Gray, and he was more than ready to finish off the abomination briskly and definitively.

He swung his arms over his head and bent part of his ice rink into a half pipe, evading E.N.D.'s enraged onslaught as he skated himself straight up into the air, feeling as though, just for the moment, he could fly. Even Lucy was able to look up through her entrapping ring of flames and see him flip upside down in the air, his leathery black arms bathed in frost as a bow and arrow of ice formed in his hands, ready to deliver the final shot.

The sight of it was actually quite terrifying; never before had Lucy seen Gray with such a bloodthirsty look in his eyes, and just the way he was now signaled that some of his humanity had slipped away…if anything, his magic had turned Gray himself into a demon, if only partially. And it clicked in Lucy's head- that must have been what drove him to his horrible state of mind.

"Ice Devil's Zeroth Destruction Bow!" Gray cried, letting the arrow zing through the air and pierce through his helpless opponent. Happy's eyes were locked onto the scene as the arrow sailed along its designated path. Lucy screamed out of pure agony alone, while E.N.D. moved his head up to look at the impending frozen death coming his way.

He tilted his head just the slightest bit to the right, feeling his breath hitch when the arrow's bone-chilled frost grazed against the exposed skin of his hot cheek, neck, and shoulder.

Just a smidge closer, and E.N.D.'s head would have been blown clean off.

"_Just_ missed me that time!" E.N.D. chided with a taunting grin, the fire back in his eyes as Gray created a platform of ice for him to alight on. His boots grinded against the ice as he took a fighting stance, but it didn't intimidate E.N.D. in the slightest. Regardless, Gray threw his head back, a deluge of frost whipping around him, and E.N.D. ended up doing the same thing with him and his flames.

"ICE DEVIL'S RAGE!" "DEMON LORD'S HOWL!"

Gray's attack propelled him right off his perch while E.N.D. was blown back by the strength of his own breath attack, the two of them rocketing backwards as their attacks connected. Fire and ice collided together and created a frigid heat; a searing chill that left everyone present in a state of awe…but not for long, as the demon and the demon slayer crashed together as one, flooding in their elements and going at each other like they never had before.

Gray's rage was pulsating through every vein in his body, using that untapped anger as fuel to go at E.N.D. with everything he had. He was whirling around like an ice-trimmed spinning top, arms coated in icy blades and hoping to carve into E.N.D. with every swing. However, blue flames were spilling off of E.N.D.'s own arms, nullifying the biting cold just a bit, but E.N.D. let it happen; he let the tension of the fight build…because he_ liked_ it.

There was a exhilarated glaze over his eyes as he matched Gray blow for blow, feeling both of their strengths burst and mingle ever time their attacks rammed together in a salacious display. His heart throbbed from adrenaline the more they fought; each close shave gave him a rush of power, and there was nothing quite like the way he got the upper hand, sweeping around Gray and locking one of the Ice Devil Slayer's arms behind him.

"Gotta say…you've really improved," E.N.D. laughed before flipping Gray over his shoulder and slamming his face into the dirt. "It's just a shame all that training you've done will go to waste when I'm through with you…"

"Tch…the second you underestimate me is the second you lose, so just keep running your mouth why don't you?!"

"Oh, I'm not estimating _you_; you're definitely a pain in the ass," E.N.D. scoffed, a fiery fist burning off the ends of Gray's hair after missing its target. "…I just have a lot of faith in myself, which is something _you_ sorely lack-"

"_What_?!" Gray spat acidly, kneeling to the ground and crossing his arms over his chest. He managed to conjure up a shield, but E.N.D.'s foot slammed straight through it and knocked Gray backwards. He rolled along the ground, and upon finally losing his momentum he noticed E.N.D. swaggering up to him.

"Aw, come on! Surely you remember all those time we'd butt heads back at the guild," E.N.D. hummed, punching a fist into his palm and conjuring up a Magic Circle. "You were my most constant opponent; always keeping me on my toes…"

Gray snarled and shot a blast of icicles at E.N.D.; the demon held his arms together and melted them away before they could even get close.

"That wasn't _you_ I fought, and besides, what we once did no longer matters to me; why is that so hard for you to understand?!"

Lucy whimpered as the horrible sound of ice meeting fire rang out loud and clear, followed by two loud spell declarations that couldn't mean anything good.

"Flame Dragon King's Demolition Fist!" "Ice Devil's Permafrost Barricade!"

E.N.D. brayed as his fist –accompanied by a radiant ball of blue flame- plunged down unto Gray, only to thud against a thick wall of ice that suddenly protected Gray from all harm. Not even a strike using the power of the Fire Dragon King had cracked the ice…and it was Gray's turn to look outright devilish.

He slapped his hands together, causing his reinforced barricade to fold in on itself and trap E.N.D. within. The walls crushed E.N.D. between them, squeezing a choked cry out of their prey. E.N.D.'s hands heated up to break through the permafrost, but it was beyond him, and actual fear welled in his eyes when he realized he was at Gray's mercy. Gray sported a crazed expression himself, waving his hands over his head in swooping motions before making a complex signal with his fingers.

"Advanced Ice Make: Artic Chamber!"

E.N.D. could feel his arms being pulled behind him as the ice around him shifted, encasing his entire body but leaving the front of his chest and his head exposed. He was so tightly constricted that even breathing was a tedious feat, and the next thing he knew there was an arrow at his forehead and an arrow on his chest, both of them knocked into a single bow…and Gray was pulling the string until it was unendurably taut. His blood red eyes were glowering down at the helpless demon, and a satisfied smirk invaded the Ice Devil Slayer's face.

"Finally…" he rumbled lowly, E.N.D. still struggling to even get a proper amount of air. "Finally…_I _can end this…_ME_! You can't play hero this time, Natsu…because all this time you were the bad guy."

E.N.D. was silent, although he was visibly raking his mind for a solution. A biting chuckle escaped from Gray upon seeing this, pressing the tips of the arrows deeper into the demon. E.N.D. felt him break skin.

"Oh no. There's no escaping this time. There's no hat trick you're going to pull out of bloody nowhere and come out on top this time. This time…you're finished. No more fires in your belly, _buddy."_

It was then, out of some last remaining shred of mercy locked away in his heart, Gray asked the demon if he had any last words. There was nothing he could do to escape –_not this time_, E.N.D. bitterly reminded himself- and it looked like the end of the end…so if he was going out, he would find a way to bring Gray down with him…one way or another.

Despite the odds, and the tiny pinpricks of burning against his torso and forehead, E.N.D. still found it in him to release a quiet titter, making Gray narrow his eyes suspiciously. E.N.D. rolled his gaze to meet to Ice Devil Slayer's, and shockingly enough the serrated grin on his face was gone. The grin was replaced with nothing but pissed off malice.

"You killed Juvia."

E.N.D. looked dead serious as his ivory gaze bore in Gray's ebony one, and anyone could see the way Gray had frozen up just at the mention of her name. E.N.D.'s lungs constricted when he tried to inhale for a breath attack, but it didn't need to be a very big one- he managed to create a hot enough flame to burn through the arrows, releasing Gray's threat and also snapping him out of his stupor.

"What the hell are you saying…? You must have slaughtered Juvia along with everyone else," Gray hissed as he staggered backward, and E.N.D. quirked a surprised eyebrow at him as he gestured his pink head to the blood bathed battlefield around them.

"Look around, Gray- do you see Juvia among the corpses here?!"

"N-No," Gray stammered after sweeping his eyes over his friends and comrades more than once, but every time there was no girl with the flowing blue hair spilling over her shoulders. There was no girl with a smile of permanent sunshine on her face. "B-but that doesn't mean she's-"

"I told you….you killed her…" Rage was welling up within the demon, and once again his flames threatened to consume him whole, even while trapped in the ice, but not once did he tear his gaze off of Gray. "She waited…she waited and waited and waited and she _died_ because she was_ waiting_ for you…!"

"Natsu, no-!" wailed Lucy and Happy, but their cries fell on deaf ears as E.N.D. grew angrier, and Gray grew paler.

"You bastard…you left her waiting in the goddamn rain…the rain that you once chased away for her!" E.N.D. was seething and the block of ice he was trapped in had water droplets running along its sides, starting to cave in against the heat. "…but you don't care! You treated her bond like it was nothing, just like with the rest of us, and you broke her heart, and she died from it! You killed Juvia by_ abandoning _her, and it's all your fault! Who's the real monster here, pal?!"

"She's not dead-!" Gray denied but a bitter bark escaped from E.N.D. as he became able to move a little more, cracks starting to form in the permafrost. Gray went to freeze it back up but E.N.D. howled at him, forcing him to back off with a plume of flame. A dangerously twisted sneer wrenched on his face as he stared hollowly at Gray.

"Tch, fine, don't believe me…but ask Happy! He saw! He was there!…or better yet, _ask Lucy_. You screwed up with her too, and if Juvia dying wasn't enough, I sure as hell ain't gonna forgive for that either!"

"No…NO! You're lying!" Gray yelled, pressing his hands to his ears as he kept backing away. "Juvia's stronger than that…!"

"I thought so too, but apparently you tore out her heart and she couldn't live without it, _scumbag_…her last request before she died was for me to keep believing in you…but since she ain't here to properly kick your ass-" A sharp _snap_ cracked through the air, E.N.D.'s flames roaring and imposingly reaching the sky. "_I'll_ just have to do it for her! Because even though she's gone, her bond is still with me…everyone's bond is still with me, and that's what make me stronger than you!"

E.N.D. scrambled along the ground like a true demon, digging his claws into the dirt before flinging himself forward and tackling Gray, pushing them both down. E.N.D. attempted to strangle Gray but Gray held his hand off and managed to flip them around, his icy tail going rigid in anger.

"Who do you think you are to boast about your bonds with everyone when you slaughtered all who care about you?! You have no room to lecture me!"

He grabbed E.N.D. and threw him an incredible distance away, summoning an icy wall for him to slam into. The sting of the cold made his back arc, but he returned in full force with a wave of flames that pushed Gray back.

"SHUT UP! At least I stuck with them for as long as I possibly could!" Bits of Natsu started to bleed into the demon's tone, and it made Gray's skin crawl. "Those bonds I made kept me going through my roughest times, especially when I was away from everyone for that year…and no matter how many people I may kill, I'm never going to take those relationships for granted!"

Fire scraped the sky as E.N.D. brought his leg down in a devastating kick, driving his heel into the ground and creating an earth shattering crack afterwards. Gray stumbled backwards from the force of the blow, only to be snatched up when E.N.D. soared over with his flaming wings, yanking Gray by the arm before spinning him around and slamming him into the ice wall Gray himself had made.

"Boy, girl, old, young, good, evil, or anything in between…! You know it never mattered to me, Gray!" Blue fire licked the clouds and threatened to swallow up the whole firmament above. "I don't give a damn who you are or how you live your life…the moment you treat the people that love you like they never mattered, you make an enemy out of me!"

E.N.D. fell to the ground and started breakdancing like crazy, moving around on his arms as his legs swept about in the air with streaks of fire at his heels. The heat alone was enough to get Gray to step back, but when E.N.D. worked himself into a whirlwind, a cyclone of fire suddenly tore through the air and charging toward Gray. The devil slayer tipped his fingers in ice before driving them straight into the fire tornado, diverging it away from him with little incident. He then started snapping his fingers and conjuring up ice blocks all around E.N.D.; the demon jumped from one to the next with an insane amount of acrobatic skill, and barely avoiding being subsequently crushed or impaled.

"I heard something from Arlock back when I was in Avatar, you know..." Gray murmured, growing increasingly frustrated the more E.N.D. avidly dodged around his spontaneous ice attacks like it was choreographed. "He said that comrades mean nothing when faced with a greater purpose...in a way, he may have been right."

Gray bent over backwards to evade a roundhouse kick, then brought his own leg up and punted E.N.D. to the ground. He summoned up twin Ice Cannons in his arms, firing them off at the demon. E.N.D. managed to catch the ice with a guttural roar, but hastily dropped them when his hands started to burn.

"By cutting my ties, I no longer have to constantly worry, nor do I have to consistently blame myself for everything bad that happens…" Gray's icy horns glistened in the light E.N.D.'s flames were giving off as the demon attempted to bring feeling back into his hands. "…and you; you're free to destroy whatever you want without remorse. In that way, your bonds meant nothing if you don't even feel guilty about what you're doing."

Gray immediately hissed when a scorching sensation danced across his bare chest, although his leathery markings had protected against it somewhat. Gray gingerly felt the burning mark as he faced E.N.D., who had smoke billowing out his nose and his saw-toothed grimace plastered on his face for all to see.

"I...I couldn't help it...you said it yourself…I have no self-control..." E.N.D. struggled to say, like it was Natsu fighting to break free again. "I gotta..._I gotta fight_...until I have nothing left to challenge me...until all life is wiped off the face of the world...!"

His flames were flickering high and low, but in his madness he still managed to keep Gray away, snarling at him whenever he got too close.

"And you're…you're wrong about me! How dare you try and claim to know how I feel, you wretched, filthy, lowly, _simple human_…!" E.N.D. had taken on a bellowing tone, cracking his knuckles with a sound that nearly resembled thunder. He then spread his wings again and flew forward, driving a flaming knee straight into Gray's stomach and knocking the wind out of him. As Gray started toppling away, E.N.D. landed back on the ground and conjured up a whip of flame, latching onto Gray's boot and promptly slamming him into a patch of ice.

"You're _weak_, Gray, and it has _nothing_ to do with your physical strength!"

The demon's biting tone was completely venomous, and part of its sting came from its truth. Gray was shocked into speechlessness, pushing himself off the icy ground he'd landed on…and for a split second, he caught his reflection in the frozen pond…

It wasn't him staring back.

"You're weak…because you're emotionally unstable…! Before, you pushed people away as much as you could while still letting them in…but now, you've got no one left to support you!"

_"Hey, what's your deal?" a young and practically naked Gray snapped, leering back at the unimpressive new kid before him. "You've got a problem with me or something?"  
"What if I do?!" he hissed back, making a show of his tiny fangs. "Geez, what a pervert..."  
"Who are you calling a pervert, pinky?!"  
"You, ya loudmouthed streaker!"_

"You've got nothing keeping you tethered! You've got nothing keeping you sane! You're relying solely on your own strength…_and you're going to collapse from the weight of it_."

_Gray's hand twitched as he let Natsu go, a quick whisper on concern escaping his lips.  
"...don't die on me."  
He cursed when Natsu's super-hearing picked up on it though.  
"What was that?"  
"N-nothing!" he murmured, instantly bolting away. _

"And that's why…heh…I'm _always _going to come out on top." E.N.D. was casually walking toward him now, leaving flaming footsteps in his wake. "Because even if we were the last two people on the face of the world, and this was the last and final bout the lands would ever see…the strength of my nakama is always going to be with me; that's my curse…and my blessing…"

_"I know the two of you butt heads but ya gotta admit he's always there when you need him." Macao shook his head as he stared down Gray with disappointment. "I just don't get it...how can you betray him like this?! To all of us?!"_

"Even if we were the last people on Earthland…I would never, ever be alone…_and you would_."

"_I can't imagine it any other way...you can't have Fairy Tail without Natsu. That's not even a possibility!"_

"And there's no one to blame but _yourself_."

"_I'm counting on you, Gray!"  
"I'm counting on you, Natsu!"_

The pure despair that emitted from Gray's scream alone sent Lucy to her knees, unable to cry and left with nothing but shudders wracking her body. Such a primal wail full of nothing but conflicting pain was enough to tear her heartstrings, and knowing that it came from Gray was a terrifying thought.

Gray's whole body was hunched as he picked himself up from the ground, standing with the posture of a flimsy doll. His marking-adorned body was heaving uncontrollably, too many thoughts consuming him.

He had to kill E.N.D.; in turn, he had to kill his best friend.

He had to cut off his emotional ties to get stronger; in turn, he had brought forth an even worse weakness.

He had to leave Juvia for her own sake; in turn, he had been the cause of her demise.

But the biggest thought being that he'd been _wrong_, and it was _him_ that had thoroughly rubbed it in his face.

"That's it…" Gray grunted through his teeth as he brought his arms akimbo behind him, everything conveyed through his intense gaze alone. He was blind with rage, seeing nothing but red, but he could sense E.N.D.'s overbearing presence in front of him. "I'm done…"

"Giving up?" E.N.D. scoffed, only to blanch when Gray's outstretched arms crossed over each other and his blackened face suddenly started to crack. Instead of pain, a wicked grin twisted onto Gray…although it was really hard to call the Exorcist Mage "Gray" at this point.

"Finally, it all comes back around…" he rumbled lowly, flashing jagged teeth that were on par with E.N.D.'s. A blue Magic Circle formed beneath his feet; a far bigger one than should have been normally possible, and it captured E.N.D. perfectly in its range. "…none of our battles ever had a definite winner. And it looks like this one with be just the same."

E.N.D.'s flames were nearly snuffed out just from the wintry feeling that blanketed the area, all of it originating from Gray as cracks continued to form along his body, showing no signs of turning back…

"LET'S GO: ICED SHELL!"

Gray faintly heard Lucy scream as he unleashed every drop of power he had left in him into this final attack, knowing it would be the last spell he'd ever cast. His own power left him sightless, but he didn't care- E.N.D. had been standing right in front of him and there was no way he was going to miss this time-!

And then he suddenly felt completely helpless, the Magic Circle below him vanishing in an instant.

…blinking in surprise, Gray was left to wonder what had gone wrong…but that answer should have been obvious.

_"If I didn't let ya do it before, why would I let you do it now?! I'm_ not_ going to let you go out like that!"_

As the icy dust swirled away, E.N.D.'s flames became prominent again, and the clearing of the cold mist revealed E.N.D. having latched onto Gray's wrists, holding them over his head to prevent him from casting any magic. The demon was glowering at the slayer, wearing a blank expression.

And yet, Gray could almost see Natsu staring at him with disapproval.

"Gray, Gray, Gray," E.N.D. tsked, keeping Gray glued to the spot just by turning the tables on him. "…haven't I told you already that dying is no way to settle a score? Tch, seriously."

This time, an orange Magic Circle appeared below them, twice the size that Gray's had been. The lust for destruction was evident in E.N.D.'s gaze again, and Gray felt a shockwave of fear pulse through his body. The demon's shit-eating grin finally returned, and E.N.D. lifted one hand over his head and practically trembled with excitement.

"Demon Lord Secret Art:_ Incinerate_!"

The world for Gray went silent as everything exploded into blue fire. Everything was quiet, everything was blue, and he couldn't sense a thing…but in that moment his thoughts began racing; the only thing he was consciously aware of.

_"I never got the chance to prove myself to Ur...but there's no limit for _him_. Every challenge that's put before him, he overcomes."_

The sound of his own heartbeat pounded in his ears, and gradually he could feel beads of sweat rolling down his leathery skin.

"_He always has that; he can always have that day...he_ needs_ to get stronger and stronger…because he's the only person left _I _need to prove myself to!"_

The wild tsunami of blue flames washed over Gray, like he had just been dropped into a searing ocean of lava…the scorching sensation running up and down every inch of his body and scalding away what little vivacity he had left.

"…_but I messed up."_

And then, all at once, his senses came back to him.

"AAAAAAAARRRRRGH!"

"GRAAAAAAAY!"

After that agonizing wail pierced through her ears, Lucy panicked and let out a blood-curdling howl of her own. In a burst of frenzy, she threw herself out of the ring of flame right arm first, and released a shredding cry as her once flawless skin was severally burned by the spell. But even after she tripped to the ground in pain, Lucy scrambled back to her feet and sprinted on through the crippling sweltering, tears flying out of her eyes. She didn't stop until she reached Gray's side, who was in a far worse state than she was. Smoke was sizzling off of him, his whole body was seared, and with the way he was breathing it didn't sound like he was going to be able to last for much longer. Lucy skid to her knees and pulled Gray into her lap as best she could –she could barely move her right arm now- and desperately tried to ignore the triumphant yet confused look that overtook E.N.D.'s face.

"Gray…Gray…" Lucy mewled, holding him gingerly to avoid causing him –and herself- any more discomfort. His breathing was throaty and incredibly uneven, like every drop of energy had been sucked out of him…but he still managed to shakily reach up and grab Lucy's hand.

"Lu…cy…"

"Gray…GRAY!"

She lost all composure and started bawling over him, and Gray couldn't do much else other than let her. Keeping his eyes open was already a trial in and of itself, let alone standing back up to properly comfort her, but he gave her hand a squeeze as best he could and caught her attention. With tears dripping down her cheeks, Lucy brought her head up to accommodate his silent request…and watched as the effects of his Devil Force started to recede. His tail melted, his horns disappeared, his eyes faded back to their normal color, and the black markings vanished… Bit by bit, the real Gray was revealed to the world again…

…and also exposing the navy Fairy Tail symbol emblazoned on his chest to the limited light of the sun.

"Y-your guild mark…!" Lucy gasped, eyes widening with ambivalent surprise, delicately brushing her fingers against it in disbelief.

Gray smiled weakly as he let go of her hand, curled his into a fist, and slowly thudded it limply against his chest.

"Yeah, I never removed it…couldn't ever bring myself to do it," he croaked out. "I kept it out of sight with my black markings, then put the Avatar stamp over it. But…bonds like these…are really hard to break. Thinking I could relieve myself of that…that really _was _my weakness in the end."

"Gray, _nothing_ about you is weak," Lucy sobbed, brushing his hair out of his face. Now that the black markings were gone, it wasn't difficult to see the scars, bruises, and burns that decorated his skin. "And I'm so, so sorry that you've always felt that way…you are always so strong and thinking of others before yourself, even –hic- if you go a little overboard sometimes…"

Gray let out a dry chuckle at the understatement of "overboard", but his brief smile vanished as quickly as it appeared, his eyes lowering as they started to glisten.

"…I'm so sorry, Lucy. I've always been making stupid mistakes…I didn't deserve any of the good things this life gave me…I just took what was given to me and threw it right back to the wind…"

"Wh…Gray, n-no, stop speaking in past tense! You're still here; you gotta fight it!"

"I just thought…that if I could die for someone, that would give my pitiful life some meaning…the cold irony is, I didn't save anyone…"

"Your life isn't pitiful, Gray! You're a beautiful person, and strong in ways I could never hope to be…!" She gripped him a little firmer as much as it pained her, pleading with her eyes. "Everyone cared about you so much, me especially, and even Natsu never stopped believing in you…and Juvia…"

Her smile was tight, but it was still there.

"Honestly Gray, she loved you right until the moment she died. Your life…gave something for so many others…how is that possibly pitiful?!"

The three seconds of silence between them seemed to drag for an eternity, but it was shattered when Gray let out another short laugh.

"Maybe you're right, Luce…and if what you say is true, then…Juvia's probably still waiting for me. I gotta go apologize or she'll…she'll harass me in the afterlife or something, heh…"

Lucy could feel him start to slip away and she panicked, clutching him tighter and putting her hand to his cheek.

"D-Don't go, Gray! I know you can fight it…! I know you can!"

But Gray solemnly shook his head, exhaling a long wheeze before he managed to speak again.

"I'm tired, Luce…let me sleep."

"No…_no_! Gray, keep your eyes open! Focus on me! Do it…_do it_!"

His eyes were misty, but they fixated Lucy as she requested…yet he could still see E.N.D. standing not too far away, serving as a living reminder of all that Gray had failed to do. …and despite the bitterness that consumed him as he stared down E.N.D.…some part of him_ still_ saw the Natsu within the demon.

And like drops of water squeezing through the cracks of frozen ice, Gray began to cry.

_"Hey...Natsu…"  
"…Yeah?"  
"…I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't believe in you...I'm no better…"  
"Quit feeling sorry for yourself because you lost a fight! You're a member of Fairy Tail! We don't give up when times are tough, so just put it behind you and keep moving forward!"_

"Gray, I told you to keep looking at me-!"

"_For the sake of the future…all I can do now is…believe in Natsu."_

"Please," Gray whispered, with something betwixt a watery smile and frown on his lips. "Believe in Natsu…just as you believed in me."

"Gray…?" Lucy asked meekly, his body suddenly much heavier in her arms. Worse, he no longer responded. "Gray…! GRAY!"

Gray's body was colder than it ever had been in life, lying limply in the weeping Lucy's arms. But the poor girl's time to mourn the loss of the Ice Devil Slayer was cut short, as she felt Happy tugging hesitantly on her clothes. Shaking beyond control, Lucy cautiously edged her gaze behind her, spotting E.N.D. still reeling over his recent, and somewhat bittersweet, victory. At some point, he locked eyes with her…

And holding up both his hands, his jagged teeth were illuminated by the flaming letters formed between his fingers, an unmistakable message woven between his claws.

"RUN LUCY."


	11. END

**In which I take one of the biggest predictions for the manga and twist it like a pretzel. **

**(Just one more chapter after this one...and I'm starting to see why it was only angst "week" and not angst "month". xD)**

* * *

Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

_~Prompt 7: E.N.D.~_  
.:The One True Magic:.

Etherious. Natsu. Dragneel.

So many assumptions and expectations came with a name like that, as it was saddled with the less-than-desirable title of "Supreme Demon of Lord Zeref". There were so many labels that accompanied it as well- vile, vicious, disgusting disgrace, deplorable demon, bloodthirsty atrocity, soulless beast, heartless cretin, and his oh so absolute favorite term_,_ _monster_. Those weren't phrases he gave to himself- they just piled up over the extended time of his existence. Nothing he could do about that.

His book was meant to be the final nail in humanity's coffin; a destiny of rebirthing the world in flames prescribed within the withered old pages. Perhaps he would never truly understand what was going through Zeref's head when it came to his creation -the wizard had been so consumed by darkness during their last encounter that he hadn't explained much- but anything relating to Zeref was all but a memory now. Changing the past was out of his grasp, but carving the future? Yeah, that was something he could still do.

It was how he was written, after all.

He'd built the darkest guild the world had ever known and filled it with Cursed demons, he'd killed off the immortal Black Wizard Zeref who once plagued the lands with peril from his presence alone, he was the sole thing feared by the inhumane Acnologia and also had been the one to deal the finishing blow on it, and he'd managed to walk away from a battle with the great Flame Dragon King Igneel and return centuries later to tell the tale!

He was supposed to take all this power that was boiling in his body and unleash it upon any and all who challenged him, engulf the world whole in fire if he had to, and claim his title as the ultimate evil once he was the last one standing…!

He wasn't supposed to be sitting on the ground sniffling miserably to himself, regretting everything he had done.

. . .

Lucy had, technically, listened to E.N.D.'s words and darted off, but it hadn't been very far. She couldn't move very fast with the burns that dressed her skin, and each strain on her exhausted body only made her want to fall on the ground and just stay there. But instead, she had snagged Happy and took refuge out of the demon's sight, even though he would be able to sniff her out eventually. For the moment of safety they had, Lucy held Happy close for both their sakes as her mind raced for something –anything- she could do.

Up and killing _him_ was out of the question- not even the devil slaying Gray could pull it off when it came down to it, and Lucy knew approaching the demon with violent intent would only instigate him into fighting, and that would be the end of_ her_. He had snatched her keys for her "safety" and discarded them (he already demonstrated that he outclassed her spirits in power anyway, and Lucy wouldn't want anyone else to suffer like Loke had), her Star Dress power had worn off, and her failed Urano Metria spell left her dry of energy…

She couldn't _not_ kill him either. If left unchecked, the insane amount of power flooding through him would keep Natsu stuck in his Etherious form, and it would also drive him straight off the island to destroy everything everywhere he went…without a thing he could do about it. Natsu had _some_ self-control. E.N.D. had absolutely none at all.

And Lucy wasn't going to let the world end in such an indecorous way.

The facts being what they were, E.N.D. was a murderous creature whom desolation followed with reckless abandon; nothing but a parade of despair marching along behind him. One day, if he went unopposed, it was only a matter of time before Earthland was bled dry of its life and he would be the sole cause of it all. He was lower than scum, less than garbage, filthier than dirt, and was an abomination that should have never been born-!

"…but I'm not a monster," she heard him wince from wherever he was brooding, and that only made her heart sink lower.

"_I really, really wish you were,"_ Lucy sobbed in her head; she couldn't cry on the outside, for she had used all her tears on everyone else and left none for herself. _"If you were the cutthroat demon you're supposed to be, this would be so much easier…"_

If he had been, she could hate him with ease; despise him for killing friends and family alike and loathe him forever for taking away everything he ever gave to her. Every good thing she had left in this life she had because of him in some way, shape, or form, and he'd gone and swiped it all one fell swoop…

…but even then, had he been a true monster like she once claimed, he wouldn't feel shame for the things he did. He wouldn't be tormented straight to his very soul by his actions that he just couldn't control. He honestly wouldn't have given a second thought about her life, no matter how he felt about her.

If anything, Lucy pitied him –oh, how Natsu would_ hate_ that- and she was angrier at herself for being the easily forgiving person she was. She'd been beaten brutally by Gajeel, she cared for her once enemy Coco back in Edolas, she didn't resent Cana in the slightest for ditching her on Tenrou, she hand waved Mary Hughes' actions against her, she was humiliated by Flare, she'd been literally beaten senseless by Minerva, and she harbored no malice towards anyone for abandoning Fairy Tail…

…and while she grieved deeply for her friends' deaths and would most likely be permanently scarred by it, Lucy couldn't find it in her to hate E.N.D. And she was having a lot of trouble deciding whether that was bad or good.

"Lucy…" She felt Happy murmur into her grip as he glanced at her with fear stricken eyes. "What do we do now…?"

Any comforting words she could have used would be a lie, and one thing from these last few weeks that resonated with her were Natsu's speeches on false reassurance. Through him, Lucy came to realize that the harsh events of reality just couldn't be brushed away- bad things happened all the time, yet everyone had the strength to roll with the punches. Everyone could take a bad thing and turn it into an opportunity, no matter how much it hurt.

A wistful smile filled Lucy's face as Juvia appeared in her mind, reminding her that things could only get better if she let them. After that, one by one, visions of her fallen friends popped up, and she could almost hear their ghostly whispers telling her to not stop here. Gray had shown up as well with his cool slanted smirk, teasingly telling her that she was far too stubborn to let it end like this- she had a lot more spunk than him, after all.

And yes, Natsu –_her_ Natsu- was there too, his beaming expression lighting up her mind… He knew she was stronger than she gave herself credit for, and he still believed things could be set right. Maybe not in the way he wanted nor expected, but…perhaps the absolute worst still had yet to come.

What clinched it all was when her mother appeared, her soft and loving disposition cutting straight through how lost and devastated she felt. Lucy could almost feel Layla warmly embracing her in that moment, accompanied by a hushed reminder that she would always have magic…as long as she had love.

Realization crashed over her, and she suddenly gasped like she'd just emerged from being underwater too long.

"Lucy…?" Happy mewled again, waving a paw in front of her face to snap Lucy out of the daze she found herself in. Everything crashed on her at once- she was unbearably hot, her mind was racing, and it was all she could do to focus on the cat in front of her and hastily work out the plan of action that had struck her like lightning.

"Happy," Lucy breathed tensely, bringing him up to eye level with her. "…I need you to listen to me very carefully, and do precisely what I say."

Happy's fur immediately stood on end from the grave tone she swiftly gained, all her sadness and grieving banished for the moment. His flooded eyes met her chocolate ones as he worriedly shook his head. She smiled weakly at his apprehensive reaction, reaching her weakened right arm up to pet him gently behind the ear.

"I need you to stay here until you know it's absolutely safe, Happy-"

"W-wait, what are you going to do?!" He started working himself into a panic. "You heard me promise Natsu- I gotta protect you no matter what, Lucy! S-so, whatever you wanna do, just forget it!"

"And I promised Natsu that I would destroy E.N.D." A watery smile creased her cheeks. "…but I don't think we can both keep our promises. And we both know Natsu definitely wouldn't want us to let him end the world as we know it."

"L-Lucy-!"

"Listen," she said as soothingly as possible, continuing to graze her fingers lightly over his head. "What if I told you I can get rid of E.N.D., and bring Natsu back at the same time…? Isn't that better than killing him, since I can't anyway?"

"But…I don't wanna lose you either- you're my friend! You're all I've got left now! I don't want something to happen to you too-!"

"…I know you're worried, but that's why it's so important that you stay here," Lucy explained, trying her hardest to keep her composure. "Natsu's going to need his best friend to be there for him when this is all over. It's the most important job you're ever going to have…"

Happy's face couldn't be damper as he shuddered in her grip, his paws clutching her arm in a desperate attempt to prevent her from leaving. "B-But Lushi~"

Lucy cut him off when she abruptly scooped him up and hugged him tightly, tears streaming out of her own eyes. Perhaps she did have a few left to drop…

"I love you, cat…you be good, okay?"

"Stop…STOP!" Happy screamed, desperately trying to pull her back as she stood up and attempted to limp away. "Stop talking like you're about to die! Don't go…don't leave me like everyone else…!"

"…wait for Natsu, all right Happy?" Lucy quivered, her voice cracking. "If there's one thing I learned from Aquarius…it's that if there's something I can do, I'm going to do it, especially when there's no other choice."

Happy finally let her go, knowing her mind was set. He shied behind the outcropping of land, but poked his eyes and ears around its edge a final time to watch her walk away with a determined air about her. He missed the look on her face, but Happy was certain it was confident by the words she uttered shortly afterwards.

"I would give my life for another just to prove I'm not a runner...I may not be strong in the physical sense, and maybe I never will...but I'm strong in a different way, and I, too, have a role to play in this life..."

E.N.D. heard her approach, and something in him bristled, but Lucy was frankly the last person he wanted to see. Any moment now he would make his move off the island and get himself as far away as possible from her, lest he be unable to hold himself back again. The smell of death permeated the heated air, and his head was throbbing while his chest ached, like two sides of him were going to war with each other inside him. The mix of deep remorse and desired obliteration was driving him crazy, and he felt like he was going to split in two!

…He had to get out of here.

E.N.D. shuddered where he sat, knowing that as soon as he moved, that would be the point of no return. He was scared to tears of what was to come, and at the same time he wanted to embrace that unknown thrill. Yet the moment he decided to stand back up again, he felt a body plow into him from behind and two lithe yet severely burned arms latched around his abdomen. It was a familiar touch, one Lucy had used many times to calm him down, but this time there was far more conviction behind it. His stare narrowed distastefully and he resisted the urge to ignite himself, instead hastily wiping at his eyes.

"…I thought I told you to run."

"No," Lucy stated adamantly, tightening her hold. "Not now…not ever."

"Don't_ fight_ me Lucy," E.N.D. warned as he grew tense. "I could hold back once…I might not be able to do it again. Too much blood has spilt already."

"I don't _need_ to fight you. But I'm _going_ to stop you."

"How?" E.N.D. challenged, as if he himself knew that even trying would be hopeless. "Your spirits are useless against me, you're burned to the bone, and you're all out of magic-!"

"No," she whispered right into his ear, and he went rigid. "You're wrong. And I know that _you _know you're wrong."

E.N.D. was silent, and not sensing any hostility for the moment, Lucy continued.

"My mother told me something once…she told me all about what she thought the One True Magic to be. And I believe her interpretation came closer than anyone else ever did…" A confident smile wormed on her face, and E.N.D. actually felt her grow warmer. "The One True Magic...it seems quite easy to get, but actually it's very hard. We worry about losing it all the time, and other times we risk everything to obtain it. It has the capability to overcome everything...while just the same, it's very fragile..."

Her smile lightly faded against his back; he could feel every twitch of her face.

"You've used such a magic yourself- you've _always_ used this magic...and that's where Gray went wrong; he refused to use this magic, and it left himself so terribly vulnerable in the end..."

"And what do _you_ think it is?"

"All magic originated from love...so I believe that the One True Magic...is actually what we call love."

"…I _knew_ that," he grunted, suddenly wrenching away from her. The abrupt action surprised her a bit, but at the same time, she'd anticipated such. E.N.D. was fisting his hair and growling angrily, either at nothing in particular or just at himself. "It was Zeref that made me realize that, just after I formed Tartarus. He made me realize that no matter who we are or where we draw our strength from, love is always a constant in our lives; hate is not its opposite…it's apathy. It's not caring at all."

E.N.D. grimaced upon thinking about Gray.

"Yet Zeref's demons thought feeding off of the humans' hate and suffering that Zeref loathed so much was what would make them stronger. Zeref wrote them that way, believing they could absorb the wretched parts of humanity and eliminate it that way, but they and Zeref failed to understand that greed, vengeance, and spite are part of being human. It's obviously not pleasant, but it still stems from the One True Magic. It's still them caring about something…"

"And Zeref wanted to wipe out humanity for its repeated mistakes and glaring flaws…" Lucy whispered. "His immortality left him to witness countless acts of humanity's folly…and as we saw before, he snapped, forwent the sanctity of life, and wanted everything to start anew again. Something you're supposed to do…"

"Yeah, me." E.N.D. sounded internally disgusted. "I was the last book Zeref wrote; I was the last demon he brought to life, and he did something different with me than he did with the other demons before me…"

Lucy walked around him so she could see his face, and she bit her lip when he brushed away more tears before she could see.

"Zeref gave me his once-cherished understanding of the importance of life, and he gave me the ability to comprehend all human emotion; something every other demon lacked completely…" E.N.D.'s empty stare met Lucy's as he shook his head. "…he made me _love,_ Lucy. He made me just like him; loving life for what it was but unable to stop myself from destroying it. He made his blight my own…and that's when I came up with Curses."

He sadly looked at his hand as he ignited it in cobalt flames.

"My idea was to harness the power of the One True Magic without it _being_ magic…so that if the world were to ever lose all its magic, I and the rest of Zeref's demons would still have power- whether through hate or through love. I would still be able to kill him, and I would be able to change the world. I hoped using such a trick would make me unbeatable…and unfortunately, I'm right."

His hand clenched so hard his veins were showing, and he couldn't even look at the girl in front of him at this point.

"So if you think using the One True Magic on me is going to somehow save me, you're the one that's wrong…and I'm sorry, Lucy."

It was clear to see that Lucy had been shaken by his hard-hitting words- he knew what she had planned to do and completely undermined it, leaving her thoroughly dry of options. Just like everything else, E.N.D. had taken her final hope and stripped her of it; she couldn't use the One True Magic to save him if it was the Magic itself that made him like this…

But oh no. It wasn't going to be that easy to shrug her off. She kept a stiff upper lip as she started walking closer to him, not about to back down here. Her lungs felt tight as her heart was beating impossibly fast…but it was clear what needed to be done.

Instead of using the Magic to save him…she would use it and his Curse _against_ him.

And maybe, somehow, she'd already known that.

"Some say that the One True Magic was born from light or darkness, but I don't think it's either… Like regular magic, it's practically our life force, but unlike regular magic, we're able to pour its essence into everything we do, sometimes without us ever realizing it. That's because it's love…"

He eyed Lucy cautiously as she approached him almost like a snake; her sway was determined, but it wasn't venomous at all. Just the opposite- she was nearly glowing with a welcoming golden radiance that seemed to pull him closer to her.

"And it's such a beautiful thing, because it doesn't have just one form…it's _everywhere_." E.N.D. couldn't tell if she was deliriously happy or lying to herself about the sorrow she felt inside, but he couldn't deny that the smile on her face was genuine, even if it contradicted the tears in her eyes. "It's in the passion we have for the things we value; for the things we get fired up about…"

A bemused smirk teased E.N.D.'s features as she fully approached him, gliding her fingers along his marred arms before intertwining her hands with his gnarly ones. He refused to look at her, but he tightened his grip instinctively.

"It's in the everlasting friendships we create with others, and the unconditional love families have for each other…it's a pure thing that can never be tarnished." Lucy's face then became a little more grave, her eyes darting off to the left for a fleeting moment. "…Gray had so much of that taken away from him, so I understand his pain…but what he never realized until it was too late was that the love itself was always with him…and that's what you tried to tell him, isn't it?"

"…tch, that brooding popsicle would've never listened to me anyway. Was his fault for thinking he could just up and rid himself of it," E.N.D. mumbled, yet his tone took on an edge of sadness. It was briefly driven away when Lucy squeezed his hands and started rocking on her heels.

"That just goes to show that you truly aren't a monster...if you were, you wouldn't care so much..."

"That's Igneel's fault!" he hissed, growing ticked again. "If Igneel had never given me that second chance I definitely didn't deserve –the chance to live and_ be_ loved- then I wouldn't feel so freaking horrible. I hate everything I've done and everything I'm going to do…I hate _myself_ for it, and yet there's no way I can get myself to stop…!"

E.N.D. realized Lucy had begun to cry again –man he still couldn't stand seeing her like that- but…they were happy tears? Like she was relieved…? How was any of this relieving?!

"And here I thought you were a Fairy Tail wizard; that's some serious quitter talk come from you!" She was _teasing_ him, and it was enough to cause a growl to bubble in his throat, but he didn't act upon it. "If there's anything you should have learned in the life Igneel generously allowed you to live, it should be that you can do anything, even work your way through this perfect disaster. Igneel knew it, Juvia knew it, everyone who gave their lives for you knew it…and_ I_ know it."

Now he was certain that he wasn't imagining that gold glow about her, but she didn't give him a chance to question it; she practically eliminated the distance between them, their entangled hands falling to the sides as she locked eyes with him.

"You believe in the power of love, and anyone who thinks this way...could never fall to true evil...but you've fallen regardless, Natsu...so let it be _my_ turn to catch you this time."

She grabbed him by his broad shoulders and pulled him in close, forcing her mouth upon his and kissing him harder than she expected. E.N.D.'s rumbling groan made her lips tingle before she found herself lifted up off the ground, one of his powerful arms hooked behind her knees and his other hand resting on the small of her back. He ravenously attacked her mouth with his, turning the tables and taking control of the kiss. Lucy assuaged in his arms, letting him have that control as one hand slid passionately into his hair. She loved him, and inside that demon he still loved her too. If anyone were to watch from afar, they would say that such an act would be enough to coax the demon down from his power-hungry high and return back to normal.

…but the wholesome act of love only made him _stronger_; only made his Flames of Emotion burn even brighter. They billowed in a white-hot intensity around the both of them, licking the air and increasing their thirst for utter desolation. A guttural growl built in E.N.D.'s throat, making him grip Lucy tighter in order to deepen the kiss. He could hear her heart drubbing against her ribcage, feeling her shudder with desire in his rough hands…and all of it only made him even more consumed with despair, evident in his darkening empty eyes.

"Why…" he whispered harshly into her lips, intensifying the sensation. "…why would you do that?"

Lucy finally pulled away, eyes wide as she shook her head, and a bittersweet smile plastered to her expression.

"So I…could do this…"

E.N.D. then realized there had been a tight grip on his wrist the whole time- the wrist of the hand that had been placed firmly on her back. Now that his senses weren't being distracted by her total essence, they all narrowed in on his hand…and only then did he feel the warm blood pooling into his palm.

Lucy's blood, on his palm.

"_I can't stand to see you hurt…when you're hurt, it hurts me too…"_

The warm feeling in his chest went extinct as his whole body ran cold, afraid to move his hand. He didn't understand what was happening, as a simple showcase of love had turned to tragedy. At an agonizingly slow pace, he brought his head back up to face her- and damn that girl, _she was still smiling. _

"What did you make me do?" The words were wrestled out of him with immense strength, white eyes growing wide as he kept staring at Lucy, who was practically melting away in his hold. Her gaze was half-lidded and only partially there, but she still managed a shrug and a coy tilt of her head.

"If giving you love would only strengthen your Curse…taking it away would have the opposite effect…right?" she poured out quickly in a hoarse whisper.

_Thub-thub. _

He could hear his own heartbeat thrumming in his ears; it made the rest of him feel hollow as he focused solely on Lucy. Her eyes smiled sadly, shakily bringing a scorched hand up to cup his cheek. Her touch was barely there.

"It's going to hurt like hell…and I can never apologize enough…"

_Thub-thub-thub._

"…but you'll be Natsu again. And that's what I want more than anything."

E.N.D. was mortified as he hastily pulled his claws out of Lucy's back, making her lurch before falling limply backwards. Of course he caught her, but it was with wobbly hands, as it felt like someone had reached into his chest and was trying to squeeze at his heart until it popped. Her once bright eyes were on the verge of being dulled and…it almost seemed like she was happy to see the deathly look on his face. What was she trying to pull?!

_Thubthubthubthubthub._

"Lucy…Lucy…" E.N.D. trembled, shaking so badly that he was hardly able to hang onto the girl he loved. The markings on his body were starting to fade while his fiery blue horns began to flicker. "Don't…don't you dare go out on me…!"

_THUB._

A sound like shattered glass rang out, and E.N.D. suddenly went numb.

"LUUUUUUUUCY!"

All at once, his whole body_ twisted_ like he was being exorcised, Lucy tumbling abruptly to the ground and just barely having the strength to keep her torso from hitting the dirt. She weakly watched with cringing eyes as all that power visibly drained out of him; the flaming blue horns were snuffed out completely, the marks sans the one on his arm all receded, and his dark pupils were restored, accompanied by unabashed terror. Everything seemed to unravel in a single moment, and he felt as though he was being ripped in half.

Lucy appeared sick as the demon bent over backwards before falling completely to the ground, writhing and roaring only a short distance away. Every bit of him jerked about as the Etherious energy that once had a hold on him was forced out of every vein in his body. Already it looked painful enough, but she completely tensed when he managed to roll his head around to face her, emitting another strenuous scream.

With a final contort of his body, Natsu was sent tumbling over himself along the ground, severed from his Etherious form once again and left in a sweaty trembling heap in the dirt, gasping for air like he wouldn't get another breath.

The Book of E.N.D. was discarded not too far away…and just like that, it was done.

"Thank…goodness…" Lucy whispered, finally allowing herself to slip down to the ground completely. Her breathing was slow and shallow, and she didn't dare to move…but she was content as she could be.

Natsu, in all his exhaustion, managed to snap his head up to get a look at Lucy, wondering if everything he'd just gone through had been a horrible nightmare, and it _had_ been…a horrible nightmare that came true. The proof in the pudding being Lucy gracefully taking her final tumble to the ground. His pupils shrunk and his already overly fatigued adrenaline kicked in again.

"D-don't you _dare_!" he exasperated, using his last burst of energy to shoot himself over there and catch her before she alighted with a thud. He managed to scoop his arms under her, instantly dragging her into his lap and not caring a bit about the blood that was spilling onto him. He carefully flipped her over so he could see her face, then did his best to create a makeshift bandage and hopefully stop her bleeding…but there was just so much…

"Natsu…it's you…" Lucy rasped out, a ghost of a smile on her face. "I'm so happy…"

"…I told you to kill me! What am I doing still alive?!" he hissed, backlashing anger bubbling to the surface. "More importantly, why is everyone else dead?! Why are_ you_ dying in my arms?!"

"…he was too strong…sorry…" Lucy susurrated, barely moving her head. "Everyone fought their hardest…Gray gave it everything he had-"

"I KNOW!" he suddenly barked like a nerve was struck, but calmed down immediately. "I know, _I know_…i-it was me, after all-"

"It wasn't you," she said softly, wanting to put a hand on his cheek but unable to find the strength. Instead, she gestured her gaze toward the smoldering book in the distance. "…it was him."

"But it's _me,"_ Natsu winced, so visibly broken but trying to stay strong for Lucy. Lucy shook her head a little more forcefully this time.

"No…at least, not anymore. I…split you off from him…just like Igneel did." Her eyes glistened. "Natsu, you are your own person, and I _never_ want you to associate yourself with E.N.D. again. You are…Igneel's Son…before you are any demon."

"But Lucy…that won't make any of this okay…"

"I'm...a very forgiving person, Natsu…someone has to be…" She did her best to swallow the lump building in her throat. "Even the darkest souls need light in their life…"

"_I_ was supposed to fall at your hands…you weren't supposed to fall by mine!" His cry was ragged and raw. "I promised to protect your future…and I just took it away from you!"

"You didn't have to protect my future…because you're the one that_ gave_ me a future." Natsu's bottom lip quaked just from hearing her breathy words. "And if nothing else, maybe…maybe you were my future…"

His head was spinning like a Merry-Go-Round; everything was going way too fast for his liking, while he felt so heavy and slow, incapable of keeping up with events to put a stop to them. His thoughts were jumbled and it was hard to breathe, but all his energy in that moment was focused on Lucy, and out of habit brushed her hair behind her ear. He wanted a clear view of her face, always looking perfect despite the battle scars she now donned.

"Oh Lucy…there's so much I want –need- to tell you, yet I don't have enough time to get my words together…" A dry smirk crossed his face. "But I was never that romantic anyway."

Lucy managed to wring out a laugh from her exhausted lungs, and Natsu could feel her blood soaking through his shoddy bandages afterwards. He didn't know what else to do to stop it. _He'd_ done all this, and there was no taking it back. He never felt so helpless…and now he resorted to begging her to stay.

"Please Luce…come home with me. I swear I won't leave you ever again…!" He wore a quivering smile, although his eyes were telling a different story. "We'll go on jobs again, I'll try not to eat too much of your food…I'll try not to sneak in through your window…I'll even work extra hard and make it so you won't have to pay rent again! We're a team, Luce, and if you'd like we could be even more than that…whatever you'd like…"

She struggled to speak, scarcely able to grasp his hand and clutch it. She hoped that'd be enough to get her point across, but Natsu launched himself further into bargaining and denial, pleading tears streaking his face.

"You can't quit on me now, even if you did this for me! I-it's better when we're together, r-remember?"

Her heart palpably broke at the way Natsu's voice was cracking, and if that wasn't enough, he had remembered the meaningful words she'd once confessed to him. Hearing him say them back made her heart swell happily, but joyous tears were the only indication of any response. Realizing she was fading fast, Natsu was rapidly losing his grip on his own sanity.

"Lucy…please…_don't make me watch you die again!_"

He fell into wracked sobs after that, creating a garbled sound the more he tried to keep it in. Lucy's wounds consumed most of her senses, trapping her in a world of pain, but nothing stung quite as much as the feeling of Natsu's tortured tears falling onto her stomach. When he was hurt…she hurt too. Wincing a bit, she slowly placed both her hands over one of his, catching his attention again.

"Even if I can't see you..."

He jumped at her words- they were nothing more than the faintest whisper and she was hardly moving her lips, but he heard it easily. He leaned in slightly closer, not wanting to miss any of it.

"No matter how far away you may be...I will always be watching you."

Lucy's big brown eyes blinked a final time, taking one last good look at Natsu before drifting closed.

"I promise…Natsu."

He watched as the light on her face faded away, Lucy smiling right until the end. Natsu egged her on to stay with him and say something else, but the last movement he got out of her was a mouthed "I love you", and the small action alone knocked the wind right out of his lungs, especially since she went impossibly limp afterwards. It took him a few seconds to register what had happened, but when it finally clicked, his shoulders fell in defeat.

"I heard you, Lucy…I love you too…" he choked out, holding her as close as she could possibly get. "…god, I love you too."

The silence that followed was sickly and unnatural, and Natsu felt the unwanted sensation of being truly lonely creep over him. A lifeless Lucy was draped in his arms, Gray was burned to a crisp, and so many others were strewn across the ground of the dark isle…and it was his fault. He'd brought this upon himself, and he didn't know what to do next.

"…Natsu…"

His pupils shrunk when he heard another voice; it both terrified him and gave him hope, but words couldn't describe how he felt when he looked behind him and saw Happy dragging himself over. The cat had clearly seen better days, with his fur matted and frayed in different places and his eyes taking on a reddish tinge from his excessive sobbing…

But he was alive.

"Happy…H-Happy…" Natsu quaked, feeling too many things at once to think straight. At some point he placed Lucy meticulously gently onto the ground, then staggered back to his feet, like he had to get used to standing again. The duo stared at each in their bittersweet reunion as they empathized with one another- E.N.D. was gone, but the price that had to be paid left them in debt of so many things…so many people…

"B-Before you say anything," Happy stated slowly, trying really hard not to cry again. "…you have to fulfill Igneel's promise. You have to seal the Book of E.N.D. so this…this won't happen again."

Natsu froze, having completely forgotten about the tome that had singlehandedly brought on all this calamity. Happy didn't like the look in his eyes, but dared to ask the question anyway.

"…do you know how to do it?"

"…yes," Natsu murmured afterward. "A little ironic, but I do know how to seal my own book…although that's only because I got my memories back…"

Happy seemed content with the answer, but nervously poked his paws together. "U-um…a-are you…you know…also gonna-?"

Natsu turned away from Happy and leered at the dark tome with his initials engraved into it, feeling a sense of dread rising within him. With a hardened look, he shook his head.

"…no, it shouldn't seal me along with it. Lucy, she-" He nearly buckled. It was way too soon, but he continued. "…she cut me off from the book's power. It's separate from me, so if I seal it, I should be fine…"

His eyes fell closed with a touch of distain.

"Not that I deserve it."

"N-Natsu, I know it's really hard right now…but you've gotta do it…" Happy was beside himself, focused solely on the ground. "There'll be plenty of time later to…to…"

"You don't have to say it, buddy," Natsu strained to speak, making his way to the book in three simple strides. "I've got this."

Happy was biting his paw nervously as Natsu lifted up both his hands, pointing two fingers upwards in each hand. The dragon slayer's face was unreadable as a Magic Circle formed beneath the book, and its cover almost flapped in opposition. A ring of orange flames looped around the book, crackling to life in a far less oppressive way than the raging blue flames from before. Natsu chanted something under his breath as the book started hovering in the air, and the fires around it began to spin.

"Invoke Magic: Fire Transference Sealing Spell!"

Happy watched the brilliant display with a little more awe as magic wind whipped up from nowhere, blowing through Natsu's hair and making what was left of his clothes flap against him. The fires grew wilder, and Happy's ears pressed to his head when Natsu released a hoarse scream, something intangible flying out of him and mingling with the building inferno. He then brought his arms down in front of him, and with a snap, the fires all collapsed inwards, enveloping the book in the blink of an eye before spreading out again. The flames spun around in a dramatic whirl as they faded out of existence, and the Magic Circle promptly vanished after serving its use.

The Book of E.N.D. was utterly gone, and the intense look in Natsu's eyes immediately faded.

"…there. I sealed it out of existence with the Flames of Emotion…I sealed it away with my Curse…everything related to E.N.D. is finally gone…" Natsu fell to his knees out of physical and emotional exhaustion, his vision going somewhat hazy afterwards. "…except...for me…"

He slumped over on his side, looking dazed and forlorn with one expression. Happy shrieked fretfully and scrambled over to make sure he was okay…physically, maybe, but emotionally? Not so much.

"…sorry…sorry…Lucy…thank you…sorry…Fairy Tail…sorry…Lucy…"

"Natsu…" Happy mewled, but he went unheard by Natsu in his weary stupor. There was nothing and everything they both needed to do now, but for the moment, Happy made the decision to hug Natsu's head, snuggling gently into his spiky pink locks. The cat felt Natsu shudder uncontrollably…but whether it was out of exhaustion or depression, Happy had yet to see. He was willing to stay this way as long as Natsu needed…

Tears still welled in Happy's eyes when he witnessed the black flame markings encasing Natsu's arm evaporate away, freeing the crimson Fairy Tail mark from under where it had spread.

This was the absolute sign that E.N.D. was finally, at long last, no more…

But the emotional wounds were here to stay.


	12. Skin and Bones

**Whew, finally done! Honestly wasn't expecting this to be such an ambitious project, but nothing's ever simple with me, haha. It's been great hearing everyone's reactions -plus seeing that my angst was actually impacting- and I hope this ending lives up to expectations! **

**(The tense swaps from past to present halfway through too. I know some people find that jarring so I thought I'd give you a heads up- interpret the ending as you wish. ^^) **

* * *

Even the Devil Was Once an Angel 

_~Bonus Prompt 2: Skin and Bones~_  
.:The Second Time Around:.

In the year that had passed since Natsu's original departure from Magnolia in hopes of training to better protect the guild and all his friends, the once thriving town now stood in shambles, very few buildings having survived the Tartarus incident, and even less having been rebuilt. It was definitely a shadow of its former self, and the silence that filled the area only cemented all that had been lost.

The ruins of Magnolia were very cold the day Natsu finished constructing his tributes toward his fallen friends, and he was a touch grateful that he remembered to grab his beloved scarf before leaving the Devil's Cradle and venturing off to pay his respects. He had no choice but to bury everyone on the island…but they deserved a better resting place than that, and in the back of his mind, he knew they all would have wanted to go to Fairy Tail one last time.

So in the cleared rubble on the very edge of Magnolia, on top of where the number one guild in Fiore used to stand, Natsu built everyone an individual monument as tribute to their lives, and he put personal touches with each one. Gajeel's was made of steel, Wendy's was decorated with pinwheels, Droy's had thriving green plants growing around it, Lisanna's had animals imprinted in the stone, Erza's was adorned with twin swords, Gray's was glistened with ice from Mount Hakobe as it would never melt, and with Lucy's he took great care to engrave all of the Zodiac constellations, a meticulous act that had taken him ages…

Every tribute was unique…just as they all had been in life.

He could feel the tears welling at his eyes again –it was commonplace these days- and he lurched when he remembered the day Gramps had first brought him into Fairy Tail, instantly knowing he would love the place. He recalled running out into the streets and taking in everything the town had to offer- and it was a pretty big place too, with something new around every corner! The view from the hills on the outskirts was beautiful, there was always something to do even at the heart of the city, and the people within were so nice and made the whole place feel alive…!

"…mm…mm…"

He tried with every muscle in his body to prevent himself from breaking down again, and he tried to keep in mind the words Igneel always told him whenever he was sad…but his cheeks became damp and his legs were about to cave anyway.

"I-I'm sorry, Igneel…I c-can't stand up and walk this one off…"

He felt thoroughly nauseous as he collapsed to the ground, digging his fingers into the dirt on the very spot where Fairy Tail once threw their wild parties…and his stomach knotted when he realized he sat out on the very last one they'd ever have. Salt in the wound, that was…

As he knelt unworthily in front of Lucy's homage, Natsu sensed Happy latching onto his arm, the cat's face unreadable but quivering as he again offered Natsu limitless comfort. Through blurry eyes, Natsu's heart couldn't help but ache for the Exceed, who felt the need to console him every time he had a breakdown, and Natsu hated being a burden like that. He already shouldn't be alive…being constantly reassured when he was never going to feel better was just too much.

"Happy," Natsu juddered, his face buried in his knees as his whole body shook. "You c-can leave, you know…I w-wouldn't resent you for it…you shouldn't be around m-me anyway…"

"No, I'm _never_ going to leave you!" Happy exclaimed without missing a beat, voice wavering with every word. "You've been with me my whole life, Natsu...I've never had a day without you! I don't want to lose my first friend-"

"But I killed the rest of your friends! I slaughtered your family!" Natsu howled, grabbing his head and sinking even lower. "I don't understand…! How can you tolerate being near the one who destroyed everything you hold dear?!"

"That wasn't you," the cat swallowed, clutching Natsu's arm tighter. "And if…if I leave you now…you'll never be happy again…"

Natsu hiccupped, peering over at Happy who was wearing a watery smile.

"If for nothing else…at least let me be a reason for you to carry on. If you feel like you don't wanna call me your friend anymore, then okay…" The blue Exceed trembled, his next words coming out more forceful than ever before. "…but I won't _ever_ leave, and I'm always going to call you my friend no matter what!"

Happy abruptly found himself being smothered in Natsu's arms, going perfectly still as Natsu sobbed harshly into his ear. He'd never heard the dragon slayer cry like that before, and Happy couldn't even imagine the amount of misery Natsu was experiencing to bring a desperate wail like that out of him. Happy dropped a few more tears himself as he did his best to wrap his paws around Natsu, but even the gesture alone was plenty.

"Th-thank you, Happy…" Natsu stuttered out, sniffling afterward. "I don't know w-what I would've done if you weren't here…"

"Don't think about that, Natsu," Happy hummed in return. "I_ am_ here, and that…that's what's important."

"I know…but I don't know if it's gonna be enough." Natsu's grip around Happy tightened, all the monuments before him serving as glaring reminders. "I…I feel like I don't wanna live anymore…how _can_ I, when I took away so many other lives?!"

"Natsu…"

Natsu broke down even more if that was possible, and Happy had to pull away before he was fully crushed under Natsu's strength. A reassuring paw remained on Natsu's knee, but that couldn't stop the torrent of tears pouring out. Happy only whimpered, wishing there was more he could do. But right when Natsu was about to lose it completely, another hand appeared and landed softly on his exposed shoulder, a thumb brushing over his guild mark.

"If it's another shoulder you need to cry on…please, feel free to lean on me…and I, too, will lean on you as well…"

The tranquil voice was so soothing that it temporarily halted Natsu's waterfall of sadness as he looked up to see who had called out to him. Wide jasper eyes and flowing blonde hair greeted him, along with a calming smile beaming down upon him.

"Master…Mavis…?"

The ghost's overwhelmingly warm presence filled the whole area as it normally did, but her form seemed more washed out than usual. Both Natsu and Happy were surprised to see her, but she calmly took her place beside them like there was nowhere else she needed to be.

"Shhhh," Mavis soothed, lowering down to his level and kneeling next to him. "You don't have to tell me anything."

"Wh-what? N-no, First Master…I…I destroyed everything you ever worked for! I destroyed Fairy Tail! I killed-!"

"Don't torture yourself…I already know." Mavis' eyes were glistening, yet she refused to frown. "Even from so far away, I could hear the sound of my little fairies crying out, including yours…and I couldn't help them this time."

Natsu dabbed at his eyes as he faced Mavis, hardly deserving to be in her presence to begin with, but he asked his budding question anyway.

"What do you mean…?"

"Well..." She tenderly placed a hand to the ground and gained an ambivalent expression. "…it's a secret that's only told to the Masters of Fairy Tail…"

"W-Well, Natsu was sort of made Master before all the bad stuff happened," Happy mewled quietly, unsure of whether or not he should have brought it up. Mavis blinked inquisitively before glancing back at Natsu, who had shamefully turned away. After a few contemplative moments, Mavis reached for the side of his head and turned him back to face her, smiling delicately.

"…a reasonable choice indeed. You're very noble and your belief in nakama runs strongly through you."

"N-Not anymore…my Flames of Emotion are gone…" Natsu forced out, shaking his head. Mavis tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

"And just because you no longer possess your Curse, you no longer draw strength from your forged bonds and love itself?"

"S-Stop…don't…" She could sense Natsu shivering; the words had reminded him too much of some of the last things Lucy had said, and being right in front of her tribute didn't make things easier for him. The pain he felt was palpable, and Mavis could only simper regretfully at she patted him peacefully.

"But Seventh Master, I think you should hear this, and it is fine if your cat knows as well," Mavis continued softly, and Happy looked around nervously. She threw him a sympathy grin. "…tell me, have you ever heard of Lumen Histoire?"

Natsu glumly shook his head; Mavis' fingers glided against the ground again.

"…it was a magic lacrima made of pure Etherion that encased my physical body. It served as Fairy Tail's ultimate weapon, for it was Fairy Tail's light; a beacon of light that shines no matter how dark the days becomes. Yet when the guild was destroyed, it was buried…Sixth Master almost used its power to put an end to Tartarus, but it wasn't needed, and sometime in the following year, the room that housed it collapsed. This prevented Lumen Histoire from being activated…and also hindered my own power…"

Mavis was stoic, but even Natsu could see that this fact upset her, as it explained why she'd been unable to help everyone on the Devil's Cradle.

"But why are you telling me this…?"

"Because, Seventh Master…" She brightened up again, which caught Natsu somewhat off guard. "Even though Lumen Histoire's role as a weapon has failed, it's true that it remains Fairy Tail's everlasting light…while it is a light that goes unseen, it still exists. You did not, and could not ever, snuff that out."

"That doesn't make any of this okay!" Natsu insisted, his voice cracking. "I don't understand how Happy can even be near me…how can_ you_ think so highly of me…when I killed so many without a second thought!?"

"You did it to kill Zeref, didn't you?" Mavis whispered quietly, though it was more of a statement than a question. "…you honestly did what you had to. Zeref once said that there'd be a one-sided annihilation…I said Fairy Tail would stop him…"

The Fairy Tactician paused, looking ghostly troubled.

"…yet I never anticipated that we could both be right."

She fell silent after that, Natsu catching the hesitance on her face. Taking a small breath, he made a daring claim.

"Zeref…you were friends with him, huh?"

"…everyone needs a friend, and with his Curse taking away any and all life he came into contact with, the least I could do was give him something to love that he couldn't kill." Her hands fisted in her lap. "He then taught me more advanced magic…and gosh, I owe him a lot…"

Mavis glanced discretely at Natsu.

"He also spoke often of someone he lost once, and everything he ever did was to bring them back…but somewhere along the way Zeref lost himself and even that pure-hearted goal turned to darkness. I would have liked to help him, but I didn't quite agree with his ideals. I think he knew what he was doing was wrong-"

"But he couldn't stop himself," Natsu whispered hoarsely, pulling his knees to his chin and wrapping his arms around his legs. Glumly, he plopped his head forward and stared off into the distance. "…are you upset that I killed him too?"

Mavis' eyes went flat, and the faintest of frowns creased her cheeks.

"It is always regrettable to lose a life, and many more would have been lost had he been left alive…but I, personally, do not think he was evil. He was not a bad person." Her gaze flickered towards Natsu. "And neither are you."

Natsu opened his mouth to loudly protest, but found it being shut by Mavis covering it up and staring intently at him, desiring to get her point across. Happy's ears pressed to his head as he shuffled behind Natsu.

"While what happened was exceedingly unfortunate…you are not an evil person. In your heart, you held no malice nor an intent to kill, only taking on your demonic form to save the many." She was gravely serious. "It was out of your control, Natsu, and you have done so much good in your life already…does one day of horrible tragedy make the rest of your life meaningless?"

"No…YES…this is different!" Natsu was so out of sorts that he didn't know what to do with himself, resorting to gaping at the ghost trying to reason with him. "What I did is unforgiveable, and it shouldn't be justified…!"

Mavis relented a bit, sitting calmly as he gave his piece. "…and how do you feel you should rectify your mistakes? By dying?"

"I…" Natsu started off boldly, but after running the question through his head again he slumped dejectedly. "…I don't know anymore. I'm starting to feel like Zeref with all this questioning of life, death, and where the line between good and evil blends…and I really, really don't like it…"

Happy's face fell as he leaned into Natsu, feeling inadequate in improving the dragon slayer's mood, but all he could give was his support. He fretted knowing that it just wasn't enough, but he had to admit that it was nice when Mavis patted his head, assuring him that the gesture was indeed appreciated. She beamed at him, then turned back to Natsu, who was still gazing at the horizon where the bold sun was starting to set in the distance. Half the sky was streaked with brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows, almost like a painted fire…while the rest of the sky was navy and sprinkled with stars, giving off a great celestial display.

Seeing the tears spilling from him again, Mavis abruptly stood up, her bare feet floating just above the ground as her dress blew gently in the breeze of the evening. She leaned over slightly and tipped Natsu's head upwards, doing her best to give him the brightest smile she could manage.

"Natsu, darling, a life for a life only brings more death…I know you're hurting, and you may hurt for a very long time, but you _can_ heal, as long as it may take. Let the pain you carry for your loved ones be your punishment, and just because you harbor that burden doesn't mean your life has to end… Life is fleeting as it is, and you are a better person than to throw it away because of something beyond your control."

"F-First Master-"

Mavis let him go and drifted a little higher, the waning sunlight in the distance serving to illuminate her translucent form. Her smile was sad…but it was still a smile.

"I've watched a massacre destroy my whole island, and I was left with only one friend to my name…despite how they treated me, losing all those people at once was the most terrible feeling I ever experienced, and it scars my heart even after death…so I know your pain, I really do…"

"It wasn't you that killed them though," Natsu muttered miserably, but it sounded like he was starting to pull himself together. A light, quick hum escaped Mavis as she twirled blithely in place.

"True, but I lived with the pain of their loss, and I took it all on for myself so that at least through one person, their memory would live on…" If Natsu didn't know better, Mavis seemed to be absolutely radiant, giving off a warmth comparable to a summer day. "You don't die for your friends…you live for them…and how are you supposed to live for your friends if you're not living yourself?"

Natsu and Happy could only watch with reverence as Mavis glided about the ruins of Fairy Tail, gently touching the ground every once in a while and sending golden sparkles into the air, making them glisten in the diminishing sunlight. Just through her graceful, buoyant movements alone, the whole place seemed to come alive, everyone's monuments shining in the light Mavis gave off.

"You must remember, each end can be a new beginning, and for every thing that is destroyed, something new is created…" she said softly while spinning about, that delicate smile permanently on her face. "Even the devil was once an angel…even the purest evil came from only good…"

She drifted by Natsu again, playfully brushing her hand over his pink locks and giggling childishly.

"If you were truly evil, you wouldn't be feeling all this regret for your friends…if you were truly evil, you wouldn't care at all. There's still room in your heart for you to love and be loved, once again…"

Her hair danced around like ribbons of faded gold, her melodic laughter being impossibly contagious as she threw her hands to the sky. Happy was awestruck, and at this point even Natsu cracked a small smile, though his eyes still watered. Mavis descended in a flurry of sparkles as she placed her hands on Natsu's shoulders once more, beaming upon seeing a far more positive response out of him.

"I firmly believe you can pick yourself up from this…be like a fiery phoenix; rise from the ashes, and begin your life anew! You've got the strength and the heart to do so!"

"I'm not…" Natsu wasn't quite as upset, but he still frowned and shrugged slightly. "I-I don't know-"

He was interrupted when Mavis suddenly hugged him, pulling him closer and holding him as well as she could. It was strange, being hugged by a ghost- her touch was light as if she wasn't really there, but he could feel it just the same… He knew she had trouble sensing temperature; he wondered what the hug felt like to her, and if she needed it just as much as he did.

"Please, Natsu…don't punish yourself by dying. Rectify this by living as they and I would want you to. Don't you think you owe them that much, given that they went out for your sake?" she begged quietly, attempting to hold him tighter. Natsu was speechless, but what she said next sent a chill down his spine. "There's still so much left in this life that you have yet to see…tell me, do fairies have tails, Natsu?"

He was taken aback by her question, and there was subtle hint of awareness on her face when she pulled back to be face to face with him.

"…well, if you don't know the answer, then the adventure isn't over yet, huh?"

Natsu started trembling again, staring solely at Mavis as he fully began to cry, but the weeps were nothing like the arduous sobs from before. The tears tumbling down his cheeks now were more out of reprieve than any sort of despair. He slowly leaned forward, returning to Mavis' embrace as he shuddered, hoping to let all of his remaining grief this time. Well, maybe he wouldn't get rid of all of it at once –that was a process that could last forever- but just for this one moment…he only wanted to feel better.

"My time here is running out, Seventh Master," Mavis whispered. "Lumen Histoire may thrive on, but I in this form can only last so much longer…yet I refuse to leave one of my own in inconsolable pain…"

"M-Master…?" Natsu sniveled, noticing that Mavis was fading by the second. She only smiled at him though, keeping a firm hold on his shoulders.

"Fairy Tail is always going to be in your heart; you know that I and everyone who loved you shall carry on within…but I'm leaving, and there's only one thing to do."

Natsu's eyes widened slightly as she held his head in her hands, shining brightly even as she continued to pale.

"…One, you must never reveal any sensitive information about Fairy Tail to outsiders, as long as you live." Natsu's lungs tightened when Mavis started reciting the send-off, eyes almost begging her to stop. She let him go and started to back away. "Two, you must never use the clients you met through the guild to achieve personal gain."

"N-no, don't say it…Don't say that last part!" Natsu wailed, falling to his knees and clutching at the warm rubble of the ground. Mavis had tears in her eyes herself, the last rays of the sun shining straight through her as she departed.

"Three, though our paths may differ, you must always live your life with all your might. Never must you consider your own life to be insignificant. Never in your life must you forget the friends you held dear…"

"...I won't…!" Natsu screamed into the ground, fisting the soil as his clenched eyes squeezed out his final tears. "I wouldn't dream of it…!"

"I know you won't," Mavis hummed, spinning around and trotting along the night's wind. The sun had finally finished its descent in the sky, and only the stars above were left to light the world. Her voice was harmonious as she began to sing, not a trace of sadness evident in her tone. "There will be painful times… sad times…but I'll be with you through thick and thin; you are never alone. The hopes we carry are matched by the number of stars twinkling in the night sky; the rustling of the wind on our bodies are premonitions for what's to come tomorrow. Now, let us take a stroll… to the melody from the song of the fairies…"

As she walked off into the distance, Mavis vanished into thin air, but her last words echoed on the whisper of the winds.

"Look towards the future…for it's brighter than your past."

Happy sat patiently as Natsu spent a little more time letting everything out, finally sitting up on his knees and wiping his sleeve across his eyes. Happy hadn't heard Mavis' last request…but Natsu did.

"…okay," he sniffed, brushing off what would hopefully be the last of his tears. "…I will."

Natsu took a deep breath, then pushed himself back to his feet. His face remained considerably damp, but he managed to lift his head high and confidently adjust his shoulders. With Happy at his side, he was able to walk on, his work in Magnolia complete. He didn't know what he was going to do next, nor did he need to know right away, but he couldn't quit living…because he had a future he needed to see, for others' sakes, and for his own.

"Speak of your future…" Natsu whispered, a slight smile on his face. "…and that shall become your will to live."

**XxX**

A girl runs through the streets of Hargeon, her blonde hair whisking about behind her in wild excitement. She's heard that there is a famous Salamander –a user of Fire Magic- in town, and she _really _wants to see him, as she aspires to be a wizard herself. She pushes eagerly through the crowd, noting a lot of ladies gathering around, and tries to elbow her way to the front.

She stops, and she finds a young man quite literally _eating fire_ from someone's barbeque. As he burps contently and laughs lightly afterward, she notes the other more bizarre things about this man's features: he has a one-sleeved coat, a huge traveling pack on his back, a healthy pair of fangs, and his hair is the strangest shade of pink…! Er, salmon, maybe-?

The town's girls all horde around the apparent Fire Mage, and something clicks in her head. Could this be _the_ Salamander? This goofy-looking guy who's treating all these people like they're old friends? That guy whose welcoming smile alone is enough to make someone's day? Someone that simple-minded couldn't really be such a strong fighter…right?

His face-splitting grin is prominent as he politely tries to make his way through after angering the owner of the barbecue, waving everyone off and hastily trying to make an escape. The girl pouts her lips and shakes her head –no, perhaps he isn't who she's looking for after all.

With a sigh, she continues on her way, clutching her pink purse and heading down the street. The pink-haired boy passes by her as he flees, going in the opposite direction…but then he catches her out of the corner of his eye. His onyx gaze slices through the crowd, landing directly on her and nothing else, and it's like time stops. She senses someone staring at her and immediately turns around, feeling her face grow hot from being scrutinized so harshly. That wide smile on him has vanished, leaving only shock and…disbelief?

The two stare at each other for the longest time, as if the rest of the town has suddenly stopped existing. He walks toward her, somewhat inquisitively, but his curiosity is fleeting and he greets her just like she's anyone else. The girl can't help but be intrigued by his warm nature, and eventually finds herself eating at a nearby café, his treat…along with his talking blue cat, which isn't as weird as it sounds.

She and the cat eat everything in sight with the utmost gusto, but he doesn't, far too distracted by the heavy de ja vu he's experiencing. She doesn't mind his deeply contemplative stare anymore -he bought her food, after all!- but she can't help but wonder about his motives.

But he doesn't give a name, nor does he ask for hers. He simply wants to know whether or not she's a wizard.

"…I'm trying to decide on a magic to learn so I can join a really strong guild in Fiore," she explains through the mouthful of spaghetti she shovels into her mouth. "I'd like to practice something a little rarer though, cuz I hate to see good magic die out you know…"

"Mm hm," the boy muffles distantly with a spark in his eyes, leaning his cheek on his hand as he listens to the girl tell her tale. He almost expects her to say that she ran away from her rich and imposing family, but alas, such isn't the case. It's silly of him to even think of that. But as she goes on and on about her passion for "rare magic", a smirk worms onto his face as he reaches into his pocket and spins something shiny around on his finger.

"…well, if you're interested, I may have a suggestion," he offers, and she hears the cat gasp in surprise afterwards. She blinks at him, then turns to the smirking boy practically dangling a ring of keys in front of her. Immediately she's captivated, but she has no idea what they are…yet there's something strikingly familiar...

"They're Celestial Keys," he explains, catching her questioning look. "If one becomes a Celestial Wizard, they can make contracts with Celestial Spirits and open their gates, and they can do incredible things. Very few wizards of this type are left in the world, so I thought you might be interested."

"Whoa, cool!" the girl shrieks, gently reaching for a silver one labeled the 'Little Dog'. "But I…these look pretty special. I couldn't just take them from you…you're very nice, but I've only just met you..."

Yet they've talked so long she feels like she's known him her whole life...and not only that, but she _trusts_ this goofy stranger.

"Well, they're nearly useless to me, so I tried giving them to the Celestial Wizard of Sabertooth, but…she felt she couldn't live up to the standards of their previous owner." The boy's face twitches just the slightest bit. "Their previous owner was my best friend, and she loved these spirits like they were her family, treating them as equals to herself…and I want them to have that special bond with someone again. I know that's what she would have wanted."

"I-I see," the girl stammers, unsure if she'd be fit for such responsibility. Still, a question niggles her mind. "U-um, pardon me for asking, but…what happened to your best friend?"

The cat, who is currently chewing on a fish, immediately goes rigid, while the boy nervously fingers the keys. A thick silence falls over the trio for a few seconds too long, and yet, the boy still finds it in him to wrench a tiny smile on his face.

"Let's just say she's dancing with the stars…or, perhaps, living in the sky with diamonds..."

She gets his message and blushes on the spot out of embarrassment. "...oh, I see. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's...fine. It's been a while since I spoke of her. It's sort of nice to reminisce…" His grin is wide, but it's melancholic. "And hey, it's not all bad...She was like a star, you know. Even though she's gone...her light continues to shine bright long past her time. It's the same for everyone we lose in this world…"

The girl beams at this positive philosophy as the cat pokes at the remains of his fish.

"He liiiiiiked her," he quips quietly, yet there wasn't a hint of teasing in his tone. It was genuinely serious. The girl looks over at the boy, and he only nods softly in agreement. The cat then leans in and nudges the girl's arm, attempting to lighten the mood. "And aside from her, the other three things he enjoys are food, fire, and fighting!"

The girl laughs gently at this, and as the two of them poke light fun at their now mutual friend, the boy can't help but admire this mysterious girl silently. She's so similar to _her_, and yet there's something alluringly different. Not that he expects to ever see_ her_ again, but this resemblance…it's uncanny and it scares him, but this girl is her own person, looking for her own start and a little adventure, just like_ she_ did. And he…he could give her that new start, just like he did for _her_.

And it's in that moment does he realize that all the wishes, hopes, and dreams…they didn't have to die with _her_, or_ them_. He originally wanted to rebuild the guild for, if nothing else, _her, _because of how much it meant to _her_…

There isn't a reason to let all that go now. Everything old could be new again…

"Heh, look at you…you're all skin and bones," he says with amusement, interrupting her intense debate with a playful chuckle. She raises an eyebrow before poking contemplatively at her wrist- maybe she _is_ a little scrawny. "I'd say you need to join a guild to really strengthen yourself up. It'd also be a great way for you to learn some magic- even Celestial Magic, if you're up for it."

"You…mean it?!" the girl squeals, clasping her hands together. His smile only grows. "Could you…really get me into one?"

"Of course, and not only that…" The ideas are festering in his mind like wildfire- he always was ridiculously impulsive. "...we can start one completely anew together, and it'll be nothing short of the best Fiore has ever seen!"

She's incredibly surprised at this, and can't help but tilt her head curiously. His lip twitch in bemusement- _she _used to do that too.

"But…if we were to create a guild from scratch…what would we call it?"

His toothy grin is impossibly large as he twists about in his seat to show off the red fairy tattoo stamped onto his right shoulder, proudly giving it a pat before flexing his muscles.

"…I was thinking Fairy Tail would be a good name. After all, it represents an endless adventure...and that's what life is all about, right?"

She doesn't even need to say anything- her eyes are already sparkling in agreement, and the grin that spreads across her face is enough of answer. With fire in his eyes, he gently clasps her hand in his and whisks her out the door –he doesn't pay for the meal, earning him another opportunity to run from the law like old times- and beams over his shoulder.

"Come follow me…and join Fairy Tail!"

She's speechless, but he happily answers her unspoken questions.

"You said you wanted to join a guild, right?!" His skin tingles from the feeling of warm nostalgia coursing through him. The beginning signs of tears pinprick his eyes, but she doesn't notice. "…so let's go!"

The blonde's big, chocolate eyes shimmer before she releases his hand and throws hers into the air, an excited and spirited laugh echoing into the starry night sky- she's ready for anything. The cat happily claps his paws and shouts "Aye sir!" for the first time in a very long time. The boy's smile is permanent and it almost hurts his cheeks, but he wouldn't have it any other way, as he is finally ready to fully live life again…

And he knows that all his friends –his family- are watching over him from wherever they are now, probably muttering to themselves about how he never changes, or teasing him for his 'taste in women', or knowing that he's going to be just fine from now on…

And he would bet every jewel in his pocket that _she's_ giving him her classic loving head shake and her own bright smile, always keeping an eye on him through the night's stars...

…and also silently hoping that he _doesn't_ randomly break into her apartment this time.


End file.
